The prelate of the Methodist Church Nigeria, Oliver Aba, has urged Nigerians to be calm over the bill seeking to create a National Centre for Christian Education (NCCE) in Nigeria.
Mr Aba made the call at a press briefing marking the end of the 40th Annual Council of Methodist Bishops held in Enugu on Sunday.
The bill, which has passed the second reading in the Senate, is expected to regulate and set standards for the practice of Christianity in Nigeria. It was sponsored by Binos Yaroe, representing Adamawa South senatorial district.
Mr Aba said when professed Christians were against the bill, he reached out to a Christian Association of Nigeria leader in a state who told him not to be afraid of the bill.
“He told me that the bill would be good for all Christians in Nigeria, adding that the whole idea was brought by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN),” stated the Methodist leader. “So let every Nigerian be calm, and let us see what will become of it.”
Speaking during the opening of the council’s meeting, the chairman of CAN in Enugu, Emmanuel Edeh, told journalists that the bill would benefit all Christians in Nigeria.
According to him, the bill’s purpose is not for the federal government to issue permits for preaching or telling anybody about Christ.
Mr Edeh stated, “The truth is that many Christians and clergy have not understood what the bill is all about. As a member of the National Executive Council of CAN, many media houses have published the impression so far from the content of the bill.”
He added, “It is a Christian affair that there should be a board or commission that represents them at the national level.”
The chairman said the commission would guide and checkmate activities of Christians in the nation, but the bill would not take away from any denominations their in-house educational arrangement.
“Catholic, Anglican, Methodist churches and others have their own education commission, and if the bill is allowed to see the light of the day, the smaller churches struggling to have schools can have boards to run to,” the CAN official explained.
Mr Edeh added, “Just like CAN stood their ground when President Buhari in 2020 signed into law Company and Allied Matters bill conferring Corporate Affairs Commission to regulate Christians and charity organisations. If it was fought on individual denominations, nobody would have won the battle.”
“So I see this bill as a way of Christians coming together to coordinate and see that the theological content and some other teachings and activities are coordinated on what the Bible provided for,” he added.
(NAN)
