CAN leader faults El-Rufai’s remarks on population of Southern Kaduna

From:Femi Oyelola in Kaduna

The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory, Reverend John Joseph Hayab, has strongly criticised former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, over his recent remarks on the population of Southern Kaduna.
El-Rufai, in an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, claimed that the people of Southern Kaduna account for less than 25 percent of the state’s population, insisting he had no regrets over his actions and policies toward the region during his eight years as governor.
Reacting in Kaduna, Reverend Hayab, who was the Chairman of CAN in Kaduna state during the El-Rufai’s administration, described the former governor’s comments as dangerous, divisive, and a reflection of deep-seated hatred for the people of Southern Kaduna.
He said El-Rufai’s utterances were consistent with his history of promoting policies that undermined peace and unity in the state.
The CAN leader recalled that during a previous national census exercise, the population of Southern Kaduna was so overwhelming, prompting the Kaduna State Shariah Committee to threaten legal action against the National Population Commission.
This episode, he said, clearly showed the population of the region was significant and could not be dismissed.
Although some in the region are pastors who do not marry multiple wives, Rev. Hayab explained that there are families with as many as fifteen or even twenty-three children. Such realities, he noted, demonstrate the region’s population is robust and can never be written off.
Hayab further disclosed that what has often skewed demographic statistics in Kaduna is not a shortage of people in Southern Kaduna but rather the deliberate inflation of figures in other parts of the state to create an illusion of dominance.
The cleric expressed disappointment that El-Rufai could openly boast that he had no regrets for his actions against Southern Kaduna communities. He maintained that such a position only exposed the depth of the former governor’s disdain for the people he once governed.