Sanusi's Islamic Bank: Bishops Ask Lawmakers To Block It

Bishops of the Dioceses in the Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion have urged the Senate and Federal House of Representatives not to pass any bill that would make the proposed Islamic bank to see the light of the day.

The Anglican Bishop of Enugu, Rt. Rev. Emmanuel Chukwuma who disclosed this to newsmen in Enugu also warned the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) not to approve the establishment of the bank, insisting that the emergence of a religious bank would pose serious threat to the unity of the country.

Dr. Chukwuma, the bishops and the Primate of the Anglican Church, Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh, had rejected Islamic bank after their meeting recently, saying that they did so because of its “religious connotation.”

The bishops also argued that the CBN was not constitutionally empowered to establish an Islamic bank, pointing out that the bank would contravene the CBN Act.
Bishop Chukwuma disclosed that the Anglican Church would embark on a protest if the apex bank ignores its position on the issue, warning that they would equally pass a vote of no confidence on CBN if it approves the bank.

He insisted that there was no need to establish an Islamic bank in a multi-religious country like Nigeria, saying that the coming of the bank would only cause confusion in the country.
“Nigeria is not an Islamic country. Islamic bank is unconstitutional because it is not in the CBN Act. We reject the establishment of the bank. It has religious connotation. The Senate and House of Representatives should not pass the bill,” he said.