Intervene in Apostle Suleman scandal, Cleric urges CAN
Babatunde Elijah, the primate of Inri Evangelical Spiritual Church, has urged the leadership of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to take steps to address the “scandals” rocking the Christendom.
In an interview with NAN, he was particular about the recent controversy involving Apostle Suleman, the general overseer of Omega Fire Ministries International.
He urged the leadership of the association to be more proactive “by intervening into controversies and scandals confronting the Christian community and to protect the values and unity of Christians in the country”.
He said that the silence of the association in such issues could cause disaffection and disharmony in the Christian community.
“I will advise the CAN President to stand firm and be focused because if the leadership of CAN is not united, If they allow the devil to infiltrate in to the Christendom, it will cost them a lot,” he said.
“Like that of Apostle Suleiman, he is one of the pastors that promote Nigeria’s name all over the world, he should leave the people that are behind the scandal in the hands of God.”
Elijah also commended the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari “for its effort in overcoming insurgency and other threats to national security”.
He urged the president not to relax in the fight as there could be a sudden attack from the insurgents.
“We have relative peace in Nigeria now, and we are grateful, this shows that this government is serious about security of lives and property.
“They should not relax in the fight against insurgency so that they will not take us by surprise and I know the government can do more”.
The cleric further decried the level of moral decadence in the society.
He said that if religious leaders were leading by example, the decay in the Nigerian society would not get to the present level.
The cleric also noted that “it is the duty of the Church to teach the people to do away with corruption”, and he advised clerics to “always remember that they are the servants of the people and they should not steal what belongs to the people. They must be faithful and obey the rules of the game”.
The author of this piece doesn’t seem aware that for several years now the Vatican and Churches across the world has been battling with incessant cases of abuse of trust by Church leaders. Apostle Suleiman’s case is not an exception so long as the disease defied all medication.