A Borno-based Pastor, Kallamu Musa-Dikwa has blown a whistle on how President Goodluck Jonathan gave the sum of seven billion naira to the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor who later distributed the money to the branch of CAN in 36 states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory.
Pastor Kallamu’s revelation is coming on the heels of the allegation by Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, that Presiden Jonathan gave pastors across the country N6 bilion to vote against the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Major General Muhammadu Buhari in the postponed presidential election.
The Pastor confirmed today that the money that was given to pastors by the President was actually N7bn and not N6bn as alleged by Amaechi, who doubles as the Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation.
Amaechi had alleged that unnamed leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) paid N6bn to Christian clerics to campaign against Buhari and the APC.
The governor’s allegation caused a stir among the Christian clerics, with the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria and the Northern State Christian Elders Forum asking Amaechi to name the church leaders who collected the huge bribe.
But Musa-Dikwa, who is the Executive Director of the Voice of Northern Christian Movement, told journalists in Kaduna today that the said money was channelled through the Christian Association of Nigeria.
He said the CAN got the N7bn on January 26, 2015 and disbursed N3 million to each State Chairmen of the CAN across the country.
Musa-Dikwa, who was an Associate Pastor with the E. Y. N. Church, Farm Centre, Dikwa Road, Maiduguri, Borno State, under Rev. Emmanuel Kwajihe between 2002 and 2004, said the CAN had started threatening Christians in the state like Borno, that they must re-elect Jonathan in the rescheduled election.
“It was N7bn that was given to the CAN leadership by President Goodluck Jonathan. They (CAN) later disbursed N3 million to the State Chairmen of the CAN. The money was handed over to the CAN Leadership on 26th January, 2015.
“Actually, President Jonathan is using CAN President, and it was the CAN President who collected the monies and shared N3m to the CAN executives in each state.
“And some Pentecostal Bishops also collected their share. Actually, the money is not N6bn, it is N7bn. This is what I know. One of the CAN officials from Abuja told me that they have collected the money. The corruption in CAN is terrible. They are corrupting the body of Christ because of money.
“They are now threatening Christians in Borno State that they will deal with anybody who refuses to vote for Jonathan. And the CAN officials are now campaigning that if Buhari emerges President, he will Islamise Nigeria; and that Osinbajo collected monies from Islamic world; and that the same Osinbajo will resign soon after Buhari wins to give way for Tinubu to emerge Vice President.”
Musa-Dikwa named some high-profile clerics, who had benefitted from the controversial largesse to actualize the re-election bid of Jonathan. [myad]
This is the unfortunate situation in the country. I think CAN as constituted now cannot exonerate itself from complicity in the evils being committed by this govt; considering the series of scandals involving it, viz: the arms scandal and the currently bribery.