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The CAN officials including the Executive members, heads and directors of the five blocs which make up the association stated this yesterday in a communique raised after their emergency meeting in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital.
According to the Head of the Catholic Societies of Nigeria (CSN) bloc, Rev Fr Simon Eseni, who read the communique, the association has no faction in Ebonyi and described Rev Scamb Nwokolo as the authentic Chairman in the state.
Eseni said the Executive members of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Ebonyi State arising from her emergency meeting held on Sunday 25th February 2024 deliberated extensively; noting that they have received with dismay the fictitious publication on the “Formation of Ebonyi State New CAN Excos and inauguration.”
The Catholic Priest said the Ebonyi State new CAN officers have been published by the Citizens Advocate of March 3rd, 2024 signed by Pastor Dr Aloysius Nweke Ogah and Rev Dr Ogwale Ogwale Ogwale.
He further said, "The same misleading information was serially announced by the “Legacy FM” on 24 February 2024 while copies were circulated on hardcopy to many citizens of our dear state and beyond.
"CAN Ebonyi State officially notified the Ebonyi State Government and the general public that the purported misleading information was frivolous and never emanated from the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Ebonyi State.
"The general public is equally notified that at no time was the newly elected and inaugurated CAN Executive of Ebonyi State led by His Eminence Rev. Dr. Scamb Nwokolo dissolved or caretakers inaugurated. Any elections of the State CAN are conducted by the National and Zonal bodies of CAN.
"The undersigned persons of the fictitious publication do not hold any portfolio in the Local Government, State or any of the five blocs of the CAN in Ebonyi State.
"The “locus stand:” of the publishers “that strangers should not rule over their host” (Deut. 17:15) is not only embarrassing to us as leaders of the Christian body in Ebonyi State but nepotic, clannish with pagan undertone as in Christ “…there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3: 28) “since Christ is all and is in all” (Col. 3:11).
"The public is equally notified that the authentic leaders of CAN whose names were used in the formation of the new purported state Exco were never consulted and had their names and portfolios impersonated. Again, to answer the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Ebonyi State is equally not just an impersonation of the body of Christ in Ebonyi State but criminal.
"The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Ebonyi State passes a vote of confidence on the leadership of His Eminence Rev. Dr Scamb Nwokolo as CAN Chairman Ebonyi State. Any person(s), or group(s) dealing with the fake body of CAN does so at its own risk."
It was gathered the apparent crisis has torn the members of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) into two factions.
The development came up less than a year after the inaugural ceremony of the Rev SIamb Nwokolo-led CAN officials in the state.
Publications made available to our correspondent disclosed that a faction of the CAN members has appointed Pastor Aloysius Ogah as its Chairman in the state.
Pst Ogah led-faction affected change in the CAN leadership structures by replacing some executive members, heads of the blocs and their directors who are allegedly illegitimate and unscriptural included as the association's officials.
Ogah's faction also accused Rev Scamb Nwokolo, with two CAN officers - Bishop Anayo Ilo and Pastor Solomon Eriugo of having an inconsistent lifestyle and refusing to give an account of over 50 million Naira belonging to the association after taking the mantle of leadership.
Ogah'a group described the trio as fake ministers of God, insisting that the authentic CAN members in the state had abandoned them and their cohorts
