El-Rufai: CAN, a Propaganda Arm of PDP

 

Former Minister of Capital Territory (FCT), Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, Monday took on the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), which had last week criticised him over his irreverent re-tweet on Jesus Christ. El-Rufai in a tweet, dismissed CAN’s reaction, describing the organisation as a “propaganda arm of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)."

The former minister, obviously responding to another attack on him by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, in his article published in the media last weekend, also ignored the negative comments about him. He also flayed the way CAN is being ran by its President, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor.

“The CAN under Oritsejafor has become the propaganda arm of a looting government and the PDP. They represent themselves and can threaten no one,” he said in the tweet.

CAN, had last week in a reaction to el-Rufai’s  controversial statement about Jesus Christ, described it as not only reckless but also “indicative of deep-seated moral bankruptcy.”

The association in a statement by its General Secretary, Rev. Musa Asake, had warned el-Rufai against further making such derogatory commentaries or else, he would risk the wrath of Christians.

It said:  “The maturity and dignified restraint of the Christian populace in the face of inflammatory and provocative statements should not be taken as licence for unbridled assault.
“We urge his (el-Rufai) religious leaders and political associates to advise him to be far more sober and circumspect and put a padlock on his mouth before he lights the candle that sets our country on fire.” 

El-Rufai, in another tweet yesterday that was an obvious reaction to Abati’s  criticism, said: “I neither respond to threats nor reply bigots. I do not respond to cowards either - who write fiction about people without mentioning names.”

Abati, in the publication titled: “The Hypocrisy of Yesterday’s Men” had made an oblique reference to el-Rufai, a quantity surveyor by profession.

Abati, in his article, wrote:  “In the same advanced societies which these same yesterday men and women often like to refer to, public service is seen and treated as a privilege. People are called upon to serve; they do so with humility and great commitment, and when it is all over, they move on to other things. The quantity surveyor returns to his or her quantity surveying or some other decent work...The accidental public servants (from the title of a new book by el-Rufai) who have turned that privilege into a life-long obsession and profession must be told to go get a life and find meaningful work to do.”