Lawyers Condemn Abuja Bombing …Seek End To Terrorism

The Nigeria Association of Adventist Lawyers (NAAL) yesterday joined other well meaning people across the world to condemn the bombing on the United Nations building in Abuja and called for an end to all forms of terrorism in Nigeria.

The association made the call at a media briefing at the end of its 2011 convention held in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, with the Theme “Advocates for Salvation”.

Speaking on behalf of Adventist Lawyers from all over Nigeria, the president of NAAL, Mr Paul Ananaba said the use of violence on grounds of religion was particularly un-acceptable because it amounts to sin.

He said it was wrong for any group to make Nigeria look like a place of un-imaginable insecurity by the resort to avoidable bombing, kidnapping and divisive tendencies. Adding that anyone that feels deprived should adopt lawful rules of engagement.

According to Mr Ananaba, although aspects of the fundamental rights of members of the Seventh Day Adventist  Church have been breached repeatedly over the years, the church would not resort to violence because the Bible does not support it.

“Those people who go about bombing may not have been deprived to the point Adventists are treated, but we have adopted advocacy. Because it is actually yielding results we have not also taken the option of going to court” he said.

Besides, he continued, “the Independent National Electoral Commission  and even the Federal Government has apologised to us and promised to respect the rights of Adventists as obtained across the civilised world”.

Mr Ananaba noted that because Nigeria conducts elections on the Sabbath day hundreds of thousands of Adventists in Nigeria were denied the right to vote for those who would rule the country. While the use of the Sabbath for JAMB, WASC and NECO denies Adventists the right to participate.

He said the issue of religious liberty was very clear in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Adding that the African and UN declarations also mandates the Nigerian government to respect the holy days of people in this country.

According to him, the use of Friday, Saturday and Sunday for important national programmes offend many laws and protocols but more than any other, it offends God directly whose worship it tries to take away.

Dagogo Clinton