Catholic Denies Condemning Oritsejafor Over $9.3m Arms Deal

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria on Friday denied that its President, Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, had accused the President, Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, of denting the image of Christianity in Nigeria over the controversial $9.3m allegedly found in the aircraft owned by the CAN President.

In a statement made available to Saturday PUNCH by its Director, (Social Communications), Rev. Fr. Chris Anyanwu, the CBCN said, “There is a poison of deliberate misinformation in the air, more deadly than the Ebola Virus Disease.

“This may be a symptom of how forthcoming political events may be handled in the media. Some persons want to, at all cost, see the North and the South, Christians and Muslims fight. In God’s name it shall not come to be.”

The organisation described such reports by some newspapers as “not only false and malicious, but a calculated attempt to further sow the seed of disharmony between Catholics and the leadership of CAN.”

The statement also said in part, “While we disassociate ourselves from the newspaper reports, it is important to put the records in the right perspective. Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama granted an interview with the Hausa BBC Service in Kaduna in which he condemned money laundering.

“All that Archbishop Kaigama said about the $9.3m saga was that the matter should be investigated in-depth to avoid insinuations, psychological projections and unhealthy rumours and gossips. A transcription of his interview will reveal that the words attributed to him were a figment of somebody’s imagination.

“He said nothing about Pastor Ayo hobnobbing with Mr. President or dragging CAN to the mud; neither did he mention the pastor’s name or Mr. President’s.

“He (Kaigama) said that the relevant authorities in Nigeria ought to investigate the issue of the $9.3m arms deals saga dispassionately and ensure that those found guilty of money laundering be punished according to the provision of the existing law of our land against money laundering.”

Source: Punch