Jos — Chairman of Christian Association (CAN) Plateau State Branch, Reverend Yakubu Pam, has demanded an apology from President Olusegun Obasanjo over the derogatory language used on the association on Thursday in Jos, Plateau State.

The cleric, who was briefly detained by security operatives, following his exchange of words with the President, told THISDAY that he was held and asked to write a letter of apology and an undertaking to the President.

He said though he wrote an undertaking but did not write any letter of apology, insisting rather that Obasanjo should go on his knees to beg the Christian community for the insult passed on to it.

The interview went thus:

Were you invited or arrested by the State Security Service (SSS) on Friday?

Rev Pam: "This one was an arrest. They came and showed me the I.D. cards. They waited for me to bath and dress. I drove in my can and they followed in their own. Everywhere I stopped, they stopped until we got to their office.

Exactly when did they arrive in your house?

Pam: They came around 7am and we left my house around 7.30am.

At the SSS office, what happened?

Pam: They kept me in one room for over two hours after which they said we were to see the State Director of SSS. I also met my JNI colleague there and I think they had given him a pre-information. Because he had already written an apology letter and I don't know what for. He gave it to them. They now asked us to sign an undertaking that we will preach peace to our followers whereas I have never asked my followers to go for trouble. Well, I said if you want me to put it in my own language, I will say I have never incited people for trouble and I will not do that. So they agreed that I can write it that way. So they demanded an apology letter from me to the President. So, I told them I did not speak in my personal capacity but I spoke on behalf of the Church of Plateau. If you want apology for Mr. President, let me go and ask my executives. So after I was released, I summoned a meeting immediately of inter-denominational leaders. At the meeting, we resolved we are not writing any apology letter. Rather it is Mr. President that should apologise to the church. So, instead of apology, we 've written a protest letter which we will give to the CAN President for onward passage to Mr. President.

What reason was given for your arrest?

Pam: They told me I was arrested because of the interaction we had with Mr. President and that the question I asked was embarrassing, that it was bad, etc. But I took time to explain to the SSS Director that time was not given to me to finish, the man cut me off midway. I had so many things to say; in fact, I was going to commend him for the steps he had taken. But my point is that, were these steps taken earlier, the crises would not have gone up to this level. But he did not allow me to land. Everybody has his own way of approach. I am a clergyman, there are people who are politicians who start with praises and encomiums. But when you come to a war area, you can start with any approach, he didn't meet us laughing and jubilating. He met us in a sober and sombre situation. People had a lot of things in their minds, as a father and a leader, he should listen.