The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) on yesterday urged the National Assembly to ensure the Federal Government withdraw from the Organisation of Islamic Conference and other religious bodies.

CAN said this at a gathering of prominent Christian leaders in the country at the Shepherdhill Baptist Church, Obanikoro, Lagos.

Media aide to the CAN president, Adebayo Oladeji, in a statement said the gathering condemned the plan to lead Nigeria into the Islamic Coalition Against Terrorism through an executive fiat. It also urged the National Assembly to prevail on Northern states to issue Certificates of Occupancy to churches in the region.

In his words:

“CAN calls on the National Assembly to compile the list of all organisations that Nigeria belongs to and all the treaties signed with a view to dropping all the religious ones. “That we declare the inability of the state governments to pay workers’ salaries and allowances as and when due as unacceptable and call on the federal and state’s governments to work together to address this.”

It admonished the Federal Government to “stop the untimely death of our people and medical tourism abroad.”

It condemned the failure of the security agencies to stop the murderous Fulani herdsmen from their criminal activities. The gathering also demanded the revival of the Nigerian Inter-religious Council.

Those who attended the meeting includes President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev. Samson Ayokunle, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye; the Presiding Bishop, Living Faith Church Worldwide, Bishop David Oyedepo; the General Overseer, The Redeemed Evangelical Mission, Archbishop Mike Okonkwo; and former CAN President, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor.