By Luka Binniyat

KADUNA—The insinuations making the rounds in Kaduna State that both Christians and Muslims clergy collected bribes from the government of President Goodluck Jonathan to support his re-election was bolstered yesterday by one Pastor Kallamu Musa Dikwa, who insisted that some leaders of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, collected N7billion from the presidency last week.

Speaking at a news conference in Kaduna yesterday, Dikwa said he was once an associate pastor with a northern based church, but had since resigned from the ministry to run his own Non-Governmental Organisation, NGO, Voice of Northern Christian Movement, under which he interfaced with CAN.

Dikwa who claimed he holds a Diploma in Bible and Theology from All Nations For Christ Bible Institute International, Benin, 2002, founded by the late Archbishop Benson Idahosa spoke in smattering English.

He said that some leaders of CAN took N7 billion from the Federal Government on January 21, 2014 but that only N3 million was sent to each of the states’ branches of CAN.

He also alleged that it was not the first time some leaders of the association were involved in corruption.

According to him, in 2013, the association got $50,000 (about N10 million) from Nigerian Christians in the Diaspora but disbursed only N500,000 to five victims of Boko Haram insurgents and pocketed the rest and expressed shock that CAN had denied knowing him.

Dikwa said, “I greet you all in Jesus’ name. . . I know that some of you know me or have been hearing me on some of the things that I said which the CAN has denied. They even denied me and said I did not exist. That is why I came to you to confirm that what I said is true. This is not the first time that they are collecting money, but not from Jonathan. In 2013, some people came from America. They are our children, our Christians from Nigeria living in America. We call them CANAAN (Christians Association of Nigerian Americans). They gave $50,000 to the victims of Boko Haram.