ECWA protests against removal of Nigeria from U.S. religious intolerance list

Demands compensation of Christians for churches destroyed in N’East

Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), Good News Church, Upper Luggere, Jimeta, Yola, Adamawa State, has criticised the United States of America (U.S.) government for removing Nigeria from its religious intolerance list.

In his New Year speech during a church service, yesterday, in Yola, the Resident Pastor, Rev. Maxwell Kuri, described Nigerian Christians as the most persecuted in the world.

“Boko Haram is the household name of those who have declared war on Christians and the church in Northern Nigeria. It has continued to breathe out threats, and its onslaught against Christians is felt everywhere, especially in Northern Nigeria,” he said.

Kuri pointed out that Boko Haram’s deadly operations had taken another dimension with new names like bandits, kidnappers, unknown gunmen and Fulani herdsmen.

According to the pastor, the objectives of the terrorist groups is to destroy the minority ethnic groups and all areas dominated by Christians, to dispossess them of their ancestral lands and deny them the right to practise Christianity.

He asked the Federal Government to compensate all churches whose structures were destroyed by Boko Haram in the North East since the government rebuilt mosques in Borno State.

Kuri, who expressed displeasure over Christians’ poor participation in politics, noted that positive changes could only occur when Christians take strategic positions in government through contest and playing major roles during elections.

On the economy, he said: “The economy is very bad and we are living on loans to survive as a country. Over 80 per cent of Nigeria’s income is spent on debt servicing.”

The pastor, who noted that Nigeria is the poverty capital of the world, urged Church leaders to equip their members in different skills to become self-reliant and creators of jobs.

He commended Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa for the unbiased administration and security he was providing for his people.