Christians who were protesting the incessant killings across the country in Akure on Sunday declined hearing from the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Hon. Agboola Ajayi who was to represent the governor to address them.
The Christians who gathered in their numbers carpeted the governor for not finding out time to receive them.
Shouts of "no no" rent the air when the CAN Chairman in Ondo state, Rev. John Ayo Oladapo invited the deputy governor to address the Christians.
Agboola Ajayi appealing to the Christian leaders.According to them, they had informed the governor of their coming in a letter, only to be told by his deputy that he (Akeredolu) had travelled to Oyo state for a condolence visit over the loss of the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Moses Adeyemo.
Meanwhile checks by SUNSHINE HERALD revealed that Akeredolu returned to the state Saturday afternoon after visiting the late Oyo Speaker's family in Ibadan.
He left for Owo, Sunday afternoon, minutes before the protesters arrived, for a condolence visit to the family of an APC chieftain who died weeks ago.
Akeredolu had also earlier received the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi who is vying for the governorship seat in Ekiti, during which the duo strategized for Saturday's APC governorship primaries.
The Christian leaders said efforts to meet with the governor since his inauguration over a year ago have been abortive, as letters sent to his office have not been replied.
The CAN Chairman told journalists that it was unfortunate that the governor decided to ignore Christians in the state who had informed him of their coming.
"The governor is aware we were coming, and he is not around to receive us. It is either the governor or nobody.
"We are happy that the people really stood by thier decision that it is the governor they want to see and not any other person.
"He was rightly informed that we were coming, and the security situation of this nation is far more important than any other thing.
"The excuse the deputy governor gave was that Oyo state was bereaved, and that he (Akeredolu) went there to go and greet the family. This is someone who is already dead.
"He can go tomorrow, he can go after now, he is the governor, from here to Ibadan, it is not more than two hours for the governor to get to Ibadan. And even after 2 o'clock, he can still go to Ibadan to greet the family.
"So if he takes us so serious, I believe he should be here.
"We have demanded to meet with the governor more than four, five times. Up till now, we are yet to sit down to discuss vital issues that concern the live of this state.
"As a serious stakeholder, we are of the opinion that he should listen to us. A letter was written by 11 bishops in this land, people find it difficult that the governor will ignore letters sent by the people of the church.
Earlier, the protesters carried placards and marched through Oba Adesida road, First Bank and to the Government House singing choruses.
Some of the inscriptions on the placards include "CAN rejects FG poor handling of security", "our values and way of live will prevail, killings will not", "stop killing Christians", "enough of unlawful killings in the country".
Among the church leaders who addressed the Christians were Bishop of Akure Diocese of the Anglican Communion, Right Rev. Simeon Borokini, Presiding Bishop of Agape Christian Ministries, Felix Adejumo, Founder of CAC, Prayer Centre, Akure, Prophet Samson Oluwamodede.
They all spoke in one voice in condemning killings of Christians across the country.
Efforts to speak with the state government by SUNSHINE HERALD to know why the governor shunned the Christian protesters proved abortive.
Calls put to the Information Commissioner, Yemi Olowolabi and Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Segun Ajiboye were not picked.
They also did not reply the text message our reporter sent to them at the time of filing this report.
