Read Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria's reaction to Kaduna Religious Bill

The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN is angry with the Nasir El-Rufai administration over the Kaduna State Religious Bill which is now before the State House of Assembly.

The PFN described the bill as obnoxious and vexing.

The Chairman of PFN in Kaduna State, Reverend Professor Femi Ehinmidu told newsmen in Kaduna that the organization would use every legal means to defend the rights of Christians in the state.

“We do not see any reason why restricting and regulating religious activities should be the Government of Kaduna State priority when the issue prevailing in Kaduna State currently for every family is how to put food on the table. It is unimaginable to see our erudite Governor exhuming a military era edit which came into being when the constitution was suspended, smacks of mischief.

“Now with this bill that he has sent to the House, he is opening up new vistas of hostilities‎ between Christians and Muslims when bias implementation is carried out if the bill is passed into law.

“Further more, the bill is obnoxious and directly offends our faith. The bible commands us in Mark 16 vs15 to ‘go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature’ and 1 Thessalonians 5 vs 29 also said ‘pray without ceasing’ this is the life wire of the Christian religion.

“Taking away the rights to preach and evangelise is telling the Christians not to practise their religion as commanded by the Lord Jesus.

“There are many laws that legislate on trampling on the rights of other people. Let those laws take full course. The bill should not take Kaduna State backward. We oppose the bill in its entirety and we shall do everything legal to ensure that our rights as Christians are not curtailed.

“We call on well meaning Nigerians and relevant stakeholders to prevail on the Government of Kaduna State to withdraw that vexing bill before Kaduna State House of Assembly.

“The bill has latent explosive heat that can set Kaduna State on fire if not tamed with proper stakeholders engagements or better still withdraw the ‎bill from being processed in the house of assembly and use existing laws to address the re-emerging religious challenges.

“The Nigeria constitution guarantees our freedom of worship and our rights to propagate our religious beliefs. The Kaduna State government is not wiser than the whole lot of eminent Nigerians who gave the nation the constitution," he said.