A coalition of 22 Christian groups in Nigeria led by National Christian Elders Forum (NCEF), yesterday, said the declaration of September 12 as public holiday in commemoration of Eid-El-Kabir celebration by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, was the height of impunity.

Sultan of Sokoto
A similar incident took place in July 2016, when Christian organisations criticised the extension of public holiday by the Federal Government over the non-sighting of the moon by the Sultan.
A statement issued by the chairman of NCEF, Mr. Solomon Asemota (SAN), on behalf of the coalition and obtained by journalists in Abuja, said it was “very improper for the head of the Islamic faith in Nigeria to announce, declare, or extend public holidays.”
The statement entitled: ‘Is the Federal Government Abdicating Its Responsibility?’, reads: “We unequivocally wish to state that it is very improper for the head of the Islamic faith in Nigeria to announce, declare, or extend Public Holidays.
“This is the function of the Federal Government and need not be abdicated. This kind of anomalous development has not been taking place in Nigeria until the advent of the Buhari Administration which has gone to great lengths to deepen religious divide and tension in Nigeria.
“Again, we have no objection whatsoever to the Muslim Public Holiday but our concern is that in a secular society as enshrined in Section 10 of the Constitution, the responsibility of declaring or announcing a religious Public Holiday is vested in the Federal Government and such responsibility is sacrosanct.
“We are not unaware of various manipulations and acts of impunity to transform Nigeria from a Liberal Democratic society to an Islamic Theocratic State. As we stated in our previous paper, the full membership of Nigeria in OIC, in 1986, by the Babangida Military Administration is tantamount to making Nigeria an Islamic state.
“The nation is yet to resolve this unilateral imposition of one religion over the nation by an individual. We also conclude that the present distress in the nation, occasioned by religious intolerance and insurgency, from the development of Boko Haram to the evolving of fanatical Muslim assailants, like the Fulani herdsmen, derive from this unilateral and improper decision of the Babangida Administration.
“Even the sponsors and actors of the membership of Nigeria in OIC in 1986 were aware of the illegality of their action and as such, kept it out of public knowledge for 10 years until 1996 when Sultan Dasuki confirmed to the Pope that Nigeria was a full member of the OIC.
“We wish to remind the present Administration that religion is a very sensitive and emotional aspect of Nigerians. The wisdom of the founding fathers of this nation to adopt Liberal Democracy as national ideology to accommodate all the divergent groups in the nation cannot be faulted.
“Any attempt to distort that delicate balance in the Nigerian society shall produce nothing but destruction and devastation as the nation is currently witnessing. There is still time for religious extremists to desist before they push Nigeria off the brink of the precipice.”

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/09/22-christian-groups-kick-say-sultan-cant-declare-public-holiday/
Source :

But it was FG that declared public holidays today.

Make we face soul winning clerics, and leave matter for Mathias

Nairastake:
But it was FG that declared public holidays today.

Make we face soul winning clerics, and leave matter for Mathias

They all preach love and tolerance, but do not live by them.

On a more truthful note, this is true.

Some peeps just sit and act like everybody out there will understand or that they'll fall in line. no sense of restraint.


Well since I'm watching Tyrant and seeing how Bassam Al Fareed becomes a power hungry fella overnight, I can understand.


Besides this match is like a basketball match; to and fro the court to score points.

CAN should vex and declare public Holliday next month for Mary Magdalene birthday. Even Joseph the carpenter and John the Baptist has birthdays that needs to be celebrated. They should also add Mary's first menses day as a public Holliday, we need to mark all these days...

When two religious bodies are fighting, we should be enjoying the holidays they dish out left right and centre.

Regardless of anything, it's not the Sultan's job to be announcing public holiday. It's the governments duty.

Flexherbal:
They all preach love and tolerance, but do not live by them.

They are typical hypocrite anyway.

But it isn't the responsibility of the Sultan to declare public holiday, he can only declare the day for the Eid el Kabir.

Rednaxelot:
They are typical hypocrite anyway.

But it isn't the responsibility of the Sultan to declare public holiday, he can only declare the day for the Eid el Kabir.

You are right, sir.

Where are we going as a country..
why can't we simply respect the religious of others?
To think this is coming from some so called Christian elders and leaders makes me more sad. We have our holidays as Christians, why can't they have theirs without this unneccessay noise and disaffection?

The last time I checked, the holiday was declared by the FG not Sultan.

Alexk2:
Where are we going as a country..
why can't we simply respect the religious of others?
To think this is coming from some so called Christian elders and leaders makes me more sad. We have our holidays as Christians, why can't they have theirs without this unneccessay noise and disaffection?
The last time I checked, the holiday was declared by the FG not Sultan.

all they said was that "sultan cant declare holiday rather its the duty of the federal government"....

amurx:
all they said was that "sultan cant declare holiday rather its the duty of the federal government"....

...and did sultan declare any holiday? Even the one that involve 'sighting of the moon', he didn't declare holiday; the FG does.....or you mean cunsulting him to be sure when the holiday should fall in is now a bad move?
I respect our religious leaders but I'm not a blind follower pls