Churches warn against Kaduna religious bill

– Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) has accused
Governor El-Rufai of creating hostilities between
Christians and Muslims with the Kaduna state Religious
Bill
– PFN calls on meaning Nigerians and relevant
stakeholders to prevail on the government of Kaduna
state to withdraw the bill
– Warn that the bill has latent explosive heat that can
set Kaduna state on fire
Representatives from over one thousand churches
within Kaduna metropolis and environs have vowed to
do everything legal to ensure that the rights of
Christians were not curtailed in Kaduna state.
The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, (PFN) has called
on Governor El-Rufai to withdraw the religious bill
before the Kaduna state House of Assembly.
The resolve by the churches is coming on the heels of
the Kaduna state Religious Bill now before the
consideration of Kaduna state House of Assembly.
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preaching bill
The bill is geared towards regulating Christianity and
Islam as it seeks to create an inter-faith Ministerial
Committee to be appointed by the governor and exercise
control over Jama’atu Nasril Islam, JNI, and the
Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN.
But the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, (PFN) has
kicked against bill, describing it as anti-Christian.
According to Vanguard, speaking on the bill which he
described as obnoxious, the chairman of the PFN,
Kaduna state chapter, Reverend Femi Ehinmidu said it
was improper for the government to embark on
restricting and regulating religious activities while other
prevailing issues in are left unattended to.
“It is unimaginable to see our erudite Governor exhuming a
military era edit which came into being when the
constitution was suspended, smacks of mischief,” he said.
“Now with this bill that he has sent to the House, he is
opening up new vistas of hostilities between Christians and
Muslims when bias implementation is carried out if the bill
is passed into law.
“Furthermore, the bill is obnoxious and directly offends our
faith. The bible commands us in Mark 16 vs15 to ‘go ye
into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature’
and 1 Thesselonians 5 vs 29 also said ‘pray without
ceasing’ this is the life wire of the Christian religion.
“Taking away the rights to preach and evangelise is telling
the Christians not to practise their religion as commanded
by the Lord Jesus.
“There are many laws that legislate on trampling on the
rights of other people. Let those laws take full course, the
bill should not take Kaduna State backward. We oppose the
bill in its entirety and we shall do everything legal to ensure
that our rights as Christians are not curtailed.”
Reverend Ehinmidu called on meaning Nigerians and
relevant stakeholders to prevail on the government of
Kaduna state to withdraw what he described as the
vexing bill before Kaduna state House of Assembly.
READ ALSO: Christian elders blast Buhari for Islamic
group inclusion
He warned that: The bill has latent explosive heat that can
set Kaduna State on fire if not tamed with proper
stakeholders engagements or better still withdraw the bill
from being processed in the house of assembly and use
existing laws to address the re-emerging religious
challenges.
“The Nigeria constitution guarantees our freedom of
worship and our rights to propagate our religious beliefs.
The Kaduna State government is not wiser than the whole
lot of eminent Nigerians who gave the nation the
constitution.
In another development, the Kaduna state government
has harshly criticised the organised labour for
threatening to resume strike if the government doesn’t
stop the current verification of workers.
Addressing the workers through his media aide, Samuel
Aruwan, Governor Nasiru El-Rufai said that the