The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) on Sunday 29 September says that its decision to give its full support to the vice president Yemi Osinbajo in his trying moment does not imply that the body exonerates him from the alleged N90 billion scandal.
The Leadership of the Christian body had said on Friday that it was going to support the Vice President after they had visited him at the VIlla to discuss the N90 billion mismanagement scandal alleged by Timi Frank.
Some had inferred from their statement that the Leadership of CAN were condoning corruption, particularly when Timi Frank in a statement said that he was disappointed in the body.
CAN in response to the assumption said in a statement released on Sunday, by Pastor Adebayo Oladeji, the Special Assistant (Media & Communications) to CAN President Rev. Samson Ayokunle, that the Christian body can never endorse corruption and has not exonerated Osinbajo from the allegation, at least until investigations are concluded, LIB reported.
The statement in part reads
“The leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) can never endorse corruption and has never exonerated anyone accused of corruption because we are not a court of law. Anyone accused of corruption has to prove his or her innocence with documentary evidence before the court of competent jurisdiction as we all know before his or her innocence can be upheld.
“CAN leadership visited the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo last Friday to hear his side of the story instead of rushing to the press either to condemn him or throw our weight behind him. This we believe, there is no law that is against our action.
“After we had interacted with him and he said that the allegation was baseless and should be treated as rubbish, and not only that, that he said that he was going to pursue the matter legally to prove his innocence, we then assured him that if he is proved innocent, then we throw our weight behind him.
“We thereafter prayed for him and our nation Nigeria. We urged him to continue to serve the nation with clean hands. The leadership of CAN has never endorsed corruption. In our earlier visits to President Muhammadu Buhari, we had praised him for fighting war against corruption but urged him to make it comprehensive, sparing no one irrespective of political affiliation.”