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Nigeria: Onaiyekan Emerges CAN President
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Daily Champion (Lagos)
20 June 2007
Posted to the web 20 June 2007
Daniel Idonor
Abuja
CATHOLIC Archbishop of Abuja, Rt Rev John Onayeikan has been elected president of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).
In a keenly contested election in Abuja yesterday, Onayeikan polled 72 votes to defeat the incumbent and Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) Most Rev. Peter Akinola who scored 33 votes.
All 105 delegates of the National Executive Council (NEC) of CAN participated at the election which witnessed some tense moments.
"The rules and regulations of the election process of CAN after some heated arguments,
were followed and everybody was satisfied," Onayeikan said in a post-election addresses.
"There is a human element, there was no panic really because we knew we were going to get it done. Everybody has accepted the result of the election, " Onayeikan said.
Asked whether arguments were expected in a Christian gathering, the CAN president
said: "Even the Apostles argued. We have to understand the arguments as ways of making your honest point strongly."
On his vision for the next three years, he said: "It is too early;. I wasn't particularly enthusiastic about the position of president.."
Now, CAN's 304-member general assembly is expected to ratify the election at its July 5 to July 6 2007 meeting in Abuja.
According to the association's constitution Onayeikan, who won majority of votes of the NEC, shall be deemed nominated as president while Akinola the runner-up is vice-president (VP), nominee.
However, sources at the NEC said: "Akinola is not likely to accept the position of VP. It
may be a bit condescending for him. I will be surprised if he accepts that position when
the general assembly meets on July 6."
CAN is made up of five blocs including the Christian Council of Nigeria (CCN), Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN),.
African Instituted Churches (OAIC), and the Evangelical Fellowship of West Africa (ECWA).
Meanwhile, CAN yesterday called on President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua to embrace industrial harmony, saying that the government must do all within its power to pursue policies that uplift the welfare of all Nigerians.
Archibishop Akinola told journalists after meeting with the president that if the government didn't pay attention to the human assets that abound in Nigeria , the nation would have no relevance. The meeting was held ahead of the CAN election.
According to Akinola, "we did say that industrial peace is very essential and very critical. And that also the human factor is perhaps our greatest asset in this country. If we don't pay attention to the Nigerian people, those assets that we have will have no relevance. It is our opinion and we explained that to the President; that government should do whatever it can to ensure that Nigerian workers are given the best that there is."
He said CAN impressed on the president the need "for the unity of our country to be strengthened and sustained and those things that are critical to the welfare of our people should be given utmost priority, roads, electricity, electoral reforms and infrastructure."
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Receiving the delegation, President Yar'Adua said that the rapid development of functional infrastructure, including roads and steady power supply, as well as the urgent rehabilitation of the country's education sector are some of the issues at the "heart" of his administration's blueprint for establishing "a modern economy" in Nigeria.
President Yar'Adua pledged that he and Vice President, Goodluck Jonathan "shall work together honestly, sincerely and with the fear of God to foster unity, peace and progress in Nigeria ."
"I am not unaware of the need for sincerity in this effort and I assure you that we will do our best," the president said while commending. CAN for playing a vital role in promoting peace and harmony in the country.
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