Governor Nasir Elrufai of Kaduna State has promised to provide additional land for building of Methodists church in Kafanchan, Southern Kaduna

The governor who made the promise when he received the prelate of the Methodist Church Dr. Samuel Chukwuemeka Kanu Uche in his office also urged the Church not relocate from their present location.

He said: “I visited your church in Kafanchan after the violence. We are willing to give you another plot of land in Kafanchan, but please consider using it to build an additional church. We request that you do not abandon or relocate the church from your present site. Let us not succumb to the agents of blackmail and division.

“Your neighbours in Kafanchan must accept the right of that church to remain there. The current church should be rebuilt and maintained as a symbol of the right to worship freely.”

Malam El-Rufai said that the government is committed to securing the area and promoting a return to normalcy. He disclosed that 10 mobile police squadrons are now deployed to the affected local governments, along with two battalions of the army. He further requested that the religious leaders should discourage the tendency to allow criminals to hide behind religion.

“When individuals have problems or disputes, they should not be allowed to mobilize emotions by escalating their differences into an ethnic or religious conflict.”

Malam El-Rufai thanked the Methodists for showing solidarity with the people and government of Kaduna State in this trying moment.

Earlier in his remarks, the prelate of the Methodist Church Dr. Samuel Chukwuemeka Kanu Uche urged Governor El-Rufai not to relent in his quest to restore peace and security in southern Kaduna.

Dr. Uche, who was speaking when he visited Malam El-Rufai in Kaduna, told the governor that he should take the blames flying around as the price of leadership.

“We note that you are being blamed over the violence in southern Kaduna. Please take that as the price of leadership. We know that the issue has been happening before your government. I remember the 1987 events vividly.

“We call on the people of Kaduna State to accept each other, to be tolerant, and to say no to violence. I have served in Kano. I do not see why we should fight each other. Nobody can Christianise or Islamise Nigeria. Let us learn to live together in peace. Religion should preserve lives. Anybody who kills is a criminal. Those who sponsor killings should be arrested.”

Dr. Uche, who was accompanied by the Methodist Bishops of Kaduna and Kano, said he came in solidarity with the people of Kaduna State. He informed Malam El-Rufai that the MedtodistChurch in Kafanchan was vandalized during the 19th December 2016 riot in Kafanchan. He requested for a new plot of land so that they can relocate the church.

“My church is affected by the violence in Kafanchan. We want your assistance with land to relocate the church and to rebuild it. We thank you for the plots of land you allocated to the Methodist Church in Abuja. I have seen your signature on the certificates of occupancy, and I know that you have nothing against the Church.”

Photo: L-R: Primate of the Methodist Church, Dr. Samuel Chukwuemeka Uche, Malam Nasir El-Rufai and the Methodist Bishop of Kaduna, Samuel Ogar Idoko after a meeting at the Government House, Kaduna