Christian elders condemn call for church courts
The Northern Christian Elders Forum (NOSCEF) yesterday kicked against calls for the establishment of church courts across the country.
Reacting to a statement credited to the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) which welcomed demands from the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to the ongoing national conference, the elders expressed reservation over calls for the establishment of such courts.
Chairman of NOSCEF, Elder Olaiya Phillips, said the establishment of the courts would weaken the country’s legal system.
“I must register my disagreement with MURIC’s call for the national conference to introduce ecclesiastical courts to replace existing common law courts across the country, just as I would resist any call for Sharia courts to also be imposed across the country. Our existing common law courts are secular as in accordance with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is vital for the integrity of the country that all Nigerians are equal before the law, but MURIC has said that they would be in favour of a segregated legal system so long as Muslims would not have to be subjected to Christian courts. If our legal system became separated, how would we be able to keep our nation together”, he said.
He added: “If MURIC really cares about the unity of this country, as it claims, then it should abandon the call for parallel Christian and Islamic legal systems and respect the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
According to him, the move would undermine the constitution of the country and would in the long run produce a very weak legal system.
“NOSCEF agrees with what MURIC said in its statement that there are issues on which both Christians and Muslims agree. We all want good security, regular power supply, good roads, efficient public health delivery system, effective public transport system, qualitative education, end to corruption etc. Then let us do as MURIC suggested and address these issues, rather than whip up support for a segregated legal system. Let us respect the secularity of the constitution,” he added.