“I have buried many people, I have been to many mass burial, and I don’t like it.” This was the lamentation of the chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Kaduna state chapter, Reverend Joseph Hayab on Easter Monday while speaking during a current affairs programme.
Revd. Hayab, who said the Nigerian government, in particular, the governor Nasir El-Rufai led Kaduna state, has been economical with the truth as regards security issues in the country, and in Kaduna state since the insurgence began, opined that, the state governor’s words are usually laced with “one truth iced with one million lies.” Hayab upheld, “I say that without any apology.”
Cleric Hayab, while agreeing with governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state that Christians should now resolve into self-defense even as they pray along, emphasized that, Christians across the country, in particular, Kaduna state, are tired of turning the ‘other cheek.’
He said, even as it stands now, Kaduna state Christians have ‘no other cheek to turn’ since they have ever been turning it without any positive result.
The Cleric said, except Christians arise and do the needful by resolving in self-defense, the terrorists or bandits will continue to harass the Christian communities in the state.
Hayab who affirmed that our political class has divided us, again stressed: “I don’t see any Nigerian as my enemy. I see my enemy as the man who we have given our mandate to govern us and fail.” He added, “we should not allow the ‘we’ versus ‘them’ to divide us.”
The Clergyman said, rather than letting the government divide us, “we should fight our common challenge … leaders who are not leading us right.”
Referring to Gov. El-Rufai, Revd. Hayab stated, “I don’t understand how a governor will talk as if he owns Nigeria, we gave them their employment letter.”
Hayab confirmed that the common belief in Kaduna state is that, Gov. El-Rufai is the spokesperson of bandits or terrorists because he blames residents and indigenes of the state whenever they cry out for help when the insurgents attack their communities.
The Reverend then cried out that “Nigerians are in pain.” He said, “I think something is wrong with the psyche of Nigerian leaders” because in the same clime where there is so much hunger, where a dollar is equal to N585, some few politicians are “wasting money like water.”
Revd. Hayab believed that all is not well with the nation and that any politician who claims all is well is “living in the moon and not in this country.” “Our leaders do not care about us”, he added.
He groaned that the Easter Sunday was celebrated amid insecurity, high costs of food, and many other unpalatable experiences.