The Chairman of the Southern Kaduna Christian Leaders Association (SKCLA), Apostle Dr. Emmanuel Nuhu Kure, has described the recent designation of Nigeria as a ?country of particular concern? by U.S. President, Donald J. Trump, as a wake-up call to conscience.

To him, the designation was a long-overdue recognition of the persecution faced by Christians in Northern Nigeria.

In a statement on Tuesday, Apostle Kure said the designation was a moment of truth that highlighted what Nigerian leaders have long ignored, the sustained marginalisation and persecution of Christian communities in the North.

?At last, someone, somewhere, has taken notice of the plight of Christians in Northern Nigeria, a plight our own government has consistently failed to acknowledge, let alone address,? he said.

The cleric accused successive governments, northern political elites, and even some Christian leaders of paying lip service to peace and human rights while allowing systematic injustice to persist.

According to him, the ?rewriting of northern minority history, seizure of ancestral lands, denial of political representation, and restrictions on church buildings? are part of a broader pattern of religious intolerance that has deepened divisions across the region.

?In many northern cities and universities, such as Bayero and Sokoto, churches are not permitted to be built while mosques abound.

?This is not the case in the South, raising the question of whether Nigeria operates under two different governments,? Kure stated.

He further lamented what he described as ?government-sponsored jihadist activities,? forced marriages, and denial of opportunities to Christians, calling on the Federal Government to constitute an independent, credible panel to investigate the allegations.

Kure also cited the killings in Benue and Plateau States, the persistent attacks in Southern Kaduna, and the murder of pastors as evidence of a ?scorched-earth campaign? against Christian communities.

?There is knowledge of the truth, but no political will to confront it,? he said.

While acknowledging the Kaduna State Government?s recent reforms aimed at promoting peaceful coexistence, Kure urged churches nationwide to speak out more boldly in defence of religious freedom.

?The Church is not speaking enough, and the government is not properly advised despite the presence of many Christians in power,? he said.

Apostle Kure said Trump?s action, despite its political undertones, should be seen as divine correction pushing Nigeria to confront its internal contradictions.

?In spite of his many contradictions, Trump has become, perhaps, a hand of divine correction, compelling nations to look inward,? adding that Britain must also take responsibility for the colonial foundations that entrenched Nigeria?s divisions.

He warned African leaders against dismissing such international rebukes as interference, saying it may be the only way to jolt them into reform.

?Whether one calls it external interference or not, something must challenge the recklessness of African leaders who continually mortgage the future of their people,? Kure said.

?Africa still has a chance to rise, and that rebirth must begin with Nigeria. Our leaders must act ? for time is running out. The moment of reckoning is now,? he stressed. (The Sun)

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