What El-rufai’s deputy, Bala Bantex said on threat to peace in Kaduna

Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, Barnaba Bala Bantex, has said he was
appalled by the role played by certain pastors in spreading hate,
encouraging violence and undermining the security efforts in Kaduna
State.

Bantex stated this in a statement he signed and issued to journalists
yesterday in Kaduna on behalf of senior officials of the state
government who are Christians.

According to him, it was unfortunate and improper to blame the actions
of criminals on religion, or insinuate government involvement.

He said the attempt to paint the Kaduna State Government and its
leadership in religious garbs must stop.

The statement reads: "We are appalled by the role of certain pastors
in spreading hate, encouraging violence and undermining the security
efforts in Kaduna State. These apostles of hatred do not speak for us,
and we condemn the attempt to reduce our religion into a vehicle or a
convenient mask for the bloodthirsty to practice their trade of
division, violence and destruction.

"We cannot condone illegal conduct even if it is perpetrated by people
with whom we share the same faith.

"We are shocked that pastors have desecrated the altar of faith to
spew lies about the situation in Kaduna State. It has saddened and
shocked us to watch videos of pastors preaching fiction and needlessly
inciting people.

"Apart from creating the impression that the curfew affected only
Christian residents of Kaduna, these pastors irresponsibly lied about
the circumstances that led to the abduction and murder of HRH Agom
Adara, Dr. Maiwada Galadima. Their professed knowledge of the
motivations that led to the unfortunate situation around the late
monarch should be of interest to the security agencies.

"But as senior leaders of the Kaduna State Government, we wish to
debunk their tissue of lies.

"At least one of the videos to which we refer features the pastor
hinting at ties to a party to some of the criminal activity that
happened during the Kaduna unrest. It is within the province of the
security agencies to interrogate this.

"As political office holders who are also Christians, we welcome the
intervention of Christian leaders like the Catholic Archbishop of
Kaduna and the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in
Kaduna State in advancing peace. Security issues should not be
invested with unnecessary religious coloration. Crime and its
consequences imperil everyone!

"We condemn without hesitation the irresponsible utterances and
conduct of persons who disgrace the very notion of priesthood.
Christianity obliges us to the finest standards of conduct, propelled
by our faith in God and His abiding grace.

"Christians are enjoined by our faith to strive to live up to the
standards of compassion and tolerance to which we are commanded by
Christ's example in the Sermon on the Mount.

"Ignorant commentary on government policy is as rascally and repugnant
as weaving false narratives to create the impression of victimhood.

"The attempt to paint the Kaduna State Government and its leadership
in religious garbs must stop. It is a government within which we as
Christians proudly serve, and which makes its decisions guided only by
the oath of office to which we have all sworn and the constitution.

"Enough is enough of this reckless misuse of the apostolic mandate.
Pastors have a mission to promote peace, bring people together, and
motivate them to better follow the example of Jesus Christ.

"The reckless rhetoric from some pastors reminds decent people of the
unfortunate involvement of pastors in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.

"We urge the leaders of the Christian faith to urgently address the
matter of that constituency of pastors who are never seen to encourage
what is good and noble, but who seem to find their voice whenever an
opportunity to widen cracks appears.

"As Christians, we would not allow anyone to use our faith to justify
any crime, to engage in reckless incitement and divide a state many of
whose residents admirably demonstrated respect for a common humanity
during the latest crisis.

"As Christians, we are part of this government and its decisions. As
Deputy Governor, I am a member of the Security Council, and routinely
preside over its meetings. Like my colleagues, we do not view our
faith as a bargaining chip or as an instrument for seeking advantage.

"Our Christian faith is a precious resource, a personal matter of
relating to God, seeking to be better with God's grace and working to
ensure our personal conduct reflects the discipline of our faith. We
reject in totality any effort to politicize Christianity.

"We call on every resident of Kaduna State, whatever their faith, to
stand together and resist those who seek to divide us.

"We commend the clear commitment to peace by our communities and we
appeal to everyone to deny criminal elements refuge in faith or tribe.
Faith should bring us closer to God, not push us to harm and destroy
others who were created by the same God."