From AIDOGHIE PAULINUS, Abuja
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference
of Nigeria (CBCN) yesterday
denied rumours of its
withdrawal from the apex body,
the Christian Association of
Nigeria (CAN). The Apostolic
Administrator of the Catholic
Diocese of Abeokuta, Monsignor
Christopher Ajala, said at a Press
briefing in Abeokuta, Ogun State
marking the 15th anniversary of
the installation of the diocese
that CAN is now too close to
government.
He said that CAN, under the
leadership of Pastor Ayo
Oritsejafor, was now moving in a
different direction from its laid
down objectives. “The Catholic
Church took its stand before the
purchase or the aircraft that was
donated to him. But what the
CBCN is complaining about, is
about the way they are running
the national CAN now that it is
not meeting the objectives and
the goals of CAN and the
forefathers of CAN. “CAN is now
being run as part of the
government and we said no.
Because they (government) will
dictate to us what to do and they
will not take our advice seriously.
The Catholic Church decided to
withdraw from the activities of
CAN at national level. We are still
part of the state. We made our
stand clear in November last year,
and by December, the man
bought a jet. I don’t know how
he got it but the President was
there on the day the jet was
delivered to him. “So, what we
are saying is that our religious
leaders should be honest,
upright and they should also be
the conscience of this nation. If
you are bought, the masses of
this country are finished.
If you can use money to buy our
religious leaders, then, there is
no hope for the common man.
That is the Catholic Church’s
stand. We are supposed to speak
for the people to correct the
wrongs in the society and assist
every government to know the
will of God for them and we still
stand by that,” he said.
Source: sunnewsonline.com/new/cover/we-are-still-in-can-catholic-bishops/

Edited for clarity...

kglamour: From AIDOGHIE PAULINUS, Abuja
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) yesterday denied rumours of its withdrawal from the apex body, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). The Apostolic Administrator of the Catholic Diocese of Abeokuta, Monsignor Christopher Ajala, said at a Press briefing in Abeokuta, Ogun State marking the 15th anniversary of the installation of the diocese that CAN is now too close to government.

He said that CAN, under the leadership of Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, was now moving in a different direction from its laid down objectives. “The Catholic Church took its stand before the purchase or the aircraft that was donated to him. But what the CBCN is complaining about, is about the way they are running the national CAN now that it is not meeting the objectives and the goals of CAN and the forefathers of CAN. “CAN is now being run as part of the government and we said no. Because they (government) will dictate to us what to do and they will not take our advice seriously.

The Catholic Church decided to withdraw from the activities of CAN at national level. We are still part of the state. We made our stand clear in November last year, and by December, the man bought a jet. I don’t know how he got it but the President was there on the day the jet was delivered to him. “So, what we are saying is that our religious leaders should be honest, upright and they should also be the conscience of this nation.

If you are bought, the masses of this country are finished.If you can use money to buy our religious leaders, then, there is no hope for the common man. That is the Catholic Church’s
stand. We are supposed to speak for the people to correct the wrongs in the society and assist every government to know the will of God for them and we still stand by that,” he said.
Source: sunnewsonline.com/new/cover/we-are-still-in-can-catholic-bishops/