Rev. Musa Asake, the national secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) died yesterday at the age of 66 after a brief illness.
In a statement, a Muslim group, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), condoled with all the loved ones of Reverend Musa. The statement which was issued by the Director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola said:
The National Secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Musa Asake, died today after a brief illness. He was 66 years old.
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) expresses immense shock. We commiserate with CAN President, Dr. Adebayo Oladeji, members of his executive as well as the entire body of Christ in Nigeria. We also condole with the nuclear and extended family of the deceased.
We share the grief of his immediate friends and admirers. We are with his mourners in spirit at this trying period. Our hearts are heavy with sadness. In particular, our hearts go to his widow, Mrs. Asake, the biological and spiritual children he left behind, his brothers and sisters. We pray that Almighty Allah will give them all the strength to bear this great loss.
We invite Christian youths to emulate Rev. Musa Asake. He was a great man. He was passionate about discipline and hardwork. He worked tirelessly for a better and more secure Nigeria. He was deeply committed to what he believed in and he left behind a legacy of activism, industry and patriotism. His sudden demise has left a yawning gap which will be difficult to fill.
We remind Nigerians that death is a necessary end and nobody knows when it will be his or her turn. But what matters is what we leave behind. Let us therefore seek a better and more secure life for our country, our children and generations yet unborn
As we round up, we charge religious leaders to learn from the lessons which the late Rev. Musa Asake left behind. These include forging love between Christians, Muslims and traditionalists in Nigeria. Our children must not grow up to hate one another. Our children must not grow into a world of rancor and animosity. Despite our differences, Musa Asake was an epitome of love, goodwill, humility, forgiveness and tolerance. We disagreed on matters of faith but we always agreed on issues affecting our dear country, Nigeria and humanity.