The Taraba State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has called on the state House of Assembly to as a matter of urgency commence an impeachment move against the acting Governor of the state, Alhaji Garba Umar.
Addressing a press conference at the CAN secretariat in Jalingo yesterday, the state Chairman of CAN, Rt. Rev Timothy Yahaya, said the call for the acting governor’s impeachment had become imperative due to what it described his failure to protect the lives and properties of the people of the state particularly Christians.
CAN accused the acting governor of being insensitive to the plight of the victims of the recent attacks and killings perpetrated in the state by gunmen and Fulani herdsmen just as it alleged that the ongoing crisis in the state had political and religious undertones.
Yahaya further stated that the security situation in the state does not support government’s claims that the crisis was neither religious nor political, stressing that the attacks on the people of the state are coordinated and executed by Islamic mercenaries mostly hired from Niger Republic to actualise the dream Islamic Jihadists ahead of the 2015 general election.
Yahaya further stated that the security situation in the state does not support government’s claims that the crisis was neither religious nor political, stressing that the attacks on the people of the state are coordinated and executed by Islamic mercenaries mostly hired from Niger Republic to actualise the dream Islamic Jihadists ahead of the 2015 general election.
The association further insisted that contrary to the claims of the state government, there is a grand plan to annihilate Christians in the state through the use of Islamic militants noting that all the communities being attacked are all Christian dominated areas just as it warned noted that Christians would be forced to defend themselves by whatever means if government fails to protect them.
According to CAN, “The killings and destruction going on are only being visited on Christian communities. Several towns and villages belonging to only Christians had been attacked, destroyed and many people have been killed while those that survived now live like destitute where they are taking refuge.
“Should government fail to act fast by protecting Christians from the ongoing massacre, CAN would be left with no option than to use anything and everything to defend ourselves.”
Reacting to the allegations in a telephone interview, the Special Assistant to the acting Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr. Aron Atimas, expressed disappointment that a well respected association like CAN would make sweeping and unsubstantiated statements that are capable of dividing the good people of the state.
In his words: “It is very unfortunate that the leadership of CAN will make sweeping statements that are unsubstantiated. A responsible religious organisation like CAN should not make such unfounded and unsubstantiated statements against the acting governor. Their action is capable of dividing the people of the state and their comments are not responsible enough”.
Atimas further noted that since the beginning of the current security problem in the state, the acting governor had taken several steps to halt the senseless killings in the state and had so far procured 29 trucks of relief materials for the victims of the crisis across the state, adding Umar had visited the affected areas and held meetings with all the stakeholders in the various communities with a view to finding a lasting solution to the crisis.