From Femi Oyelola in Kaduna
Senator Uba Sani became Governor by divine intervention, to heal Kaduna State of the carnage, mistrust, and open discrimination against Christians in the recent past.
Former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode made this known at the Diocese of Kafanchan, Church of Nigeria(Anglican Communion) Synod 2025 35th Anniversary on Saturday.
He said that there was a time when the 17 security chiefs in the country were Muslims from the north and Christians were discriminated against because of their faith, especially in Kaduna State.
According to the former Minister, with the coming of Governor Uba Sani to office, the situation has started to change for the better in Kaduna State, adding that ‘’what he is doing should serve as an example to the rest of the country.’’
‘’The Governor that you have today, came as a consequence of prayer. I have known him for many years. He is one of my closest friends. He is not an ordinary person,’’ he said.
‘’There was a time in this very ground, you had a Governor who despised Christians. I use the word ‘’despised’’ advisedly and with a capital ‘’D’’. He treated Christians with contempt and disdain.’’
Fani-Kayode recalled that the 25th of December, 2016, will forever remain in his memory because of the gruesome murder of Christians in four local governments in Southern Kaduna.
The former Minister reminded that he wrote extensively about the carnage, spoke out against it all over the country, and paid a price for that, but that doesn’t matter.’’
According to him, 800 people of Southern Kaduna extraction in four local governments were killed in one day ‘’by terrorists from outside who came and butchered them. Defenseless men, women, and children were slaughtered as a Christmas Day present.’’
‘’To put the icing on the cake, the local hospitals were closed. And nobody listened to you from Government House, so you will suffer all the more. And that kept on happening, community after community.
Chief Fani-Kayode further said that Christian traditional rulers were killed and their subjects were treated like filth, adding that the plight of the people of Southern Kaduna touched Christians all over the country.
The ex Minister noted that the shabby treatment that Christians were subjected to acted as a ‘’catalyst for them to stand against it, fight against it, and say ‘we shall not accept this.’ ‘’
‘’To be a Christian is not to be a second-class citizen, is not to be a slave, is not to be a nobody. To be a Christian is to be everything, a child of the living God, a believer,’’ he maintained, adding that Christians ‘’ suffered under the leadership of that individual.’’
The former Minister, who is the Saduakin Shinkafi, recalled that Christians prayed for God’s intercession and He answered their prayers because they don’t believe in violence.
According to him, God raised a humane Governor in the person of Senator Uba Sani, a candidate who some people thought would not coast to victory, adding that even his so-called backer thought he could manipulate him.
‘’One of the first things that Uba Sani did when he came in, and he told me he was going to do this, was the bridging of the division between Christians and Muslims. And he honored that promise. Kaduna is now for both Christians and Muslims.
He also set up the Kaduna Elders Forum, which, for the first time, included Christians. And of course that was one of the reasons why his predecessor was upset with him,’’ he added.
Chief Fani-Kayode said that killings in Southern Kaduna suddenly came to an end when Senator Uba Sani assumed office and the state has become more united and more peaceful, adding that ‘’no more carnage or Christian persecution.’’
‘’This is a Governor who entered a Church. I saw it on television and I was so touched. And out of respect to us, and our faith and our God, he removed his cap.
‘’This is a man that you must respect and revere and stand by. And not only that, this is why you must ensure that you make total and complete peace with the Muslim community,’’ he counseled.
The former Minister further advised that ‘’if you lost a child during the time of terror, just like Mahatma Gandhi told the Hindus, find a Muslim child to adopt. And if you are a Muslim and your child was killed by Christians, look for a Christian child and adopt.’’
He argued that ‘’ in faith, we are one. We may choose different paths of worship. The overwhelming majority of Muslims are decent, God-fearing, hardworking people who wish to live in peace with each and every one of us.’’
Fani-Kayode recalled that Kaduna ‘’had a Governor who said that they paid terrorists from outside this country not to come. Which means that they had earlier paid them to come at some point, for some purpose. He said it on national television.’’
The Sadaukin Shinkafi commended the people of Southern Kaduna for their sense of restraint and belief in God, describing them as extraordinary and urging them to ‘’ please continue in that way.’’
