The General Assembly of the Christian Association of Nigeria on Thursday formally validated the election of Archbishop Daniel Okoh as its new president.
Okoh has stepped in the saddle to begin a new leadership tenure after the expiration of Dr Samson Supo Ayokunle’s leadership
Okoh’s recommendation by an Electoral College, which was set up to screen and suggest candidates for the offices of the president and vice president, respectively, as presented by the blocs that have rights of nomination was in line with the provisions of the 2021 CAN constitution as amended.
Okoh, the General Superintendent of Christ Holy Church International, Onitsha, emerged as the new spiritual leader of CAN, after getting a 100 per cent vote of all 259 delegates who participated in its 12th General Assembly and is expected to serve a single five-year term.
The new CAN president, in his acceptance speech, charged President Muhammadu Buhari to quell the rising insecurity in the country.
He said, “While thanking the President and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR), for his efforts to combat terrorism and banditry, I would like to appeal to His Excellency to end the bloodletting, kidnapping and general insecurity in all the geo-political zones of the country.
“I believe that government can do more to secure the lives and property given all the modern technology within its reach.”
According to him, “the need for CAN to respond appropriately to national issues became imperative.”
He said that the apex Christian organisation would continue to participate actively and effectively in nation building
He said, “We are coming in at the time that all of us in the Christian faith, believe that some section of political leaders are not sensitive to the diverse nature of our population when certain decisions are being made.
“Many Christians feel and have the genuine fear that there is a deliberate plan to remove the Christian faith from the scheme of things and make us second-class citizens in our own country – genuine fear borne out of the recent happenings in our polity i.e. the same-faith ticket in one of the major political parties in Nigeria despite the caution raised by CAN since two years ago.
“Whatever happens, no matter how many times our sensibilities are insulted, we must resolve to make a positive impact on the political, economic and social systems of our dear nation.”
Okoh stated that for Christians to remain relevant in the scheme of things, the first step was to increase CAN’s efforts to work towards Christian unity and mutual understanding among the denominations of the Church in Nigeria.
Ayokunle told his successor to love the people irrespective of their weaknesses.
According to.him: “The people will annoy him, make him angry, and may not even appreciate him, but he must continue to seek the good of the people.”
● Profile of the new CAN President, the Most Rev. Daniel Chukwudumebi Okoh
The Most Rev. Daniel Chukwudumebi okoh was born on November 12, 1963 in Kano to Christian parents. He is a native of Ndoni in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria.H66e is married to Ngozi and they are blessed with four children.
Archbishop Daniel Okoh is a product of the famous Dennis Memorial Grammar School, Onitsha. In 1988, he graduated from the University of Port-Harcourt in Second Class Upper Division in Political Science and Education.
Thereafter, he attended Christ Holy Church Seminary, Onitsha and was awarded a diploma in Theology. Since then he has undertaken many courses and participated in seminars that are relevant to his ministry work both in Nigeria and abroad. As the General Superintendent of Christ Holy Church International – an African Independent Church – he leads his denomination in ecumenical relations with other denominations in the body of Christ and engages with people of other religions in dialogue for peaceful co-existence and sustainable development.
For more than 20 years, Most Rev. Daniel Okoh, has been actively involved in ecumenical relations and interfaith dialogue in and outside Nigeria through the following positions: International Chairman of the Organisation of African Instituted Churches (OAIC); National President of OAIC (Nigeria Region) (2005 – 2014); National Vice-President of Christian Association of Nigeria (2007 – 2013), former member, Board of Directors of Inter-Faith HIV/AIDS Coalition of Nigeria; Member, Governing Council of Good News Theological College and Seminary Accra, Ghana; Member, Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC);and Member ofthe Board of African Council of Religious Leaders – Religions for Peace.He is also a board member of Christian Solidarity Worldwide (Nigeria). Between 2000 and 2003 he was the only African representative in the Steering Committee of the International Forum on Multicultural Ministry which was initiated and sponsored by the Mission and Evangelism Team of the World Council of Churches.
In the area of Politics and Governance, Archbishop Daniel Okoh was one of the six delegates that represented Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the National Political Reform Conference of 2005 organised by Federal Government of Nigeria. From 2009 – 2011 Most Rev. Daniel Okoh served on the board of National Orientation Agency (NOA) as an Institutional representative of Christian Association of Nigeria. Over the years, Daniel Okoh, a de-tribalized Nigerian, has built friendship across religious and ethnic lines around the globe.
He welcomes and participates in conversations and programmes that would bring about peaceful co-existence among the peoples of the world and sustainable development.
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