The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has demanded the “immediate removal” of the chief executive officer (CEO) of Sterling Bank, Abubakar Suleiman, over the bank’s Easter advert which compared the resurrection of Christ with the rising of Agege Bread.
KanyiDaily had reported that during Easter celebration, Sterling Bank had shared an advert showing a puffed, golden brown, halved Agege Bread with the caption, “Like Agege Bread, He Rose… Happy Easter”.
The advert had attracted criticisms with many social media users, mostly Christians, lambasting Sterling Bank over the denigratory comparison.
The bank had deleted the post and subsequently uploaded another copy of an opened tomb significant of Christ’s departure from the grave and added the caption, “…let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone.”
Reacting in a statement signed by its national secretary, Joseph Daramola, CAN stated that the advert is “provocative and insensitive” towards Christians.
CAN advised Christians to be wary of the banks they patronise, insisting that Suleiman and the Management of the bank showed “hostility and hatred” for the Christian faith.
The statement reads, “The attention of the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has been drawn to an ungodly, wicked, insensitive and deliberately provocative advertisement of the Sterling Bank comparing the Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ to ‘Agege Bread’ amidst the Easter celebration.
“In case the management of the Sterling Bank is not aware, the resurrection of Jesus witnesses to the immense power of God Himself. To believe in the resurrection is to believe in God.
“If God exists, and if He created the universe and has power over it, then He has power to raise the dead. If He does not have such power, He is not worthy of our faith and worship.
“Only He who created life can resurrect it after death, only He can reverse the mystery that is death itself, and only He can remove the sting and gain the victory over the grave (1 Corinthians 15:54–55). In resurrecting Jesus from the grave, God reminds us of His absolute sovereignty over life and death.
“The purported apology did not come from a penitent heart. How can someone in his right mind describe the risen Christ as a loaf of bread? That is insulting, ridiculous and a mockery of Jesus Christ. We advise Christians to be wary of the banks and other financial institutions they are patronising.
“We learnt that the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) has reportedly intervened in the matter with a view to imposing some sanctions against Sterling Bank. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) is waiting for the decision of the organisation.
“However, in the interim, we call for the immediate removal of the chief executive of Sterling Bank, Mr. Abubakar Suleiman, with his management whose actions have clearly shown their hostility and hatred for the Christian faith.”
KanyiDaily recalls that the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) had also vowed to sanction Sterling Bank over the pprovocative Easter advert.
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