President Goodluck Jonathan has called on all Nigerians irrespective of their creed or status to desist from making inciting and inflammatory statements capable of causing disharmony and breach of the peace in the country.
The President made this call on Monday in Abuja, when he declared open a two-day roundtable meeting with Special Advisers on Religious Affairs from the 36 States of the Federation and the FCT.
The meeting with the theme: Towards Synergising and Interfacing in the Religious Sectors for National Development, was organised by the Offices of the Senior Special Assistants to the President on Islamic and Christian Matters.
Accordingly he said, “We should continue to assist government with prayers and positive counselling and desist from making inciting statements and comments capable of causing disharmony and breach of the peace. It should be noted that, by the teaching of our faiths, we shall all account for our deeds in the hereafter. I therefore admonish you to live by example always and to do good for the development of our country and humanity.”
The President, represented by the Vice President, Mohammed Namadi Sambo, noted that without peace there would be no meaningful development, also stressed that his administration would not be deterred by the lawless acts of insurgents.
“We are working round-the-clock to transform all facets of our socio-economic and political lives. Let me reiterate that we remain resolute in our quest to provide positive development to Nigerians anchored on peace and harmony. We equally remain unwavering in our commitment to bringing an end to the security challenges confronting our dear nation,” he said.
President Jonathan said in recognition of the importance of religion in national development, his administration had accorded it its rightful place at the highest level of government, by creating the two offices of the Senior Special assistants on Islamic and Christian Affairs.
“Religion is a guide to mankind. We must therefore apply it as a guiding light against the backdrop of all the problems surrounding us. Religion must bring out the best in us. We must use it toward conflict resolution, sustainable peace and the establishment of a just and egalitarian society.”
The President, while lauding his two assistants for spearheading the conference called on the participants to “strive toward promoting inter-religious harmony and dialogue at all times for peace and development to thrive as there is no gainsaying the fact that no meaningful development can be achieved without peace and security.”
He also urged them to make deliberate efforts in synergizing and supporting the Federal Government’s programmes and its commitment to ensuring the unity, peace and progress of this great country.
In their separate remarks, the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III and the President Christian Association of Nigeria, Ayo Oritsejafor stressed the importance of religious knowledge among citizen.
The two leaders also charged Muslim and Christian faithful in the country to believe in one-another and the indivisibility of Nigeria as one united country.
Speaking separately, the two SSAs to the President, Tahir Umar Tahir and Venerable Obioma Onwuzurumba, disclosed that the meeting was aimed at further deepening the understanding between the two major religions of their common values and also to serve as a stepping stone for overcoming the country’s challenges.
