- His Eminence, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, have called for an end to hate speech in various political corners of Nigeria
- The Archbishop called for an end to violence and killings in the country
- According to Onaiyekan, God did not bring Christians and Muslims together in Nigeria for nothing
The archbishop of Catholic Church in Abuja, His Eminence, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, have called for an end to hate speech in various political corners of Nigeria.
Onaiyekan also condemned the incessant violence and bloodshed across various states in Nigeria, Punch reports.
Speaking on Tuesday, May 29, at a homily to mark the dedication of a Catholic church, Our Lady Queen of Peace, built by Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba and his wife, Amaka, in Akparabong, Ikom local government area of Cross River state, Onaiyekan urged Christians to live by faith and charity.
Onaiyekan said: “The church of God is supposed to be a sign and instrument of what great things God is doing in our world. Our church should be a sign of the goodness of God so that anybody who has seen the church will say this is how God’s community should be.
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“This is particularly important today when religion has almost become something else. With harsh language, hate speech, and always believing it is just me and my religion, others are finished," The Archbishop said.
Onaiyekan said it was not by accident that God brought 80 million Christians and 80 million Muslims together in Nigeria.
He said: “There should be a grand alliance of all men and women of goodwill across the country, north and south, all tribes, all religions. Let us link hands and work together. If we link hands and work together and spread messages of peace, then all the noise would go away."
He also called for crisis-free general elections in 2019.
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Also speaking, the past general evangelist of the Christ Apostolic Church Worldwide, Samuel Abiara said all Nigerian must work together to prevent the spilling of blood for the 2019 election
Abiara said: “I would like to urge the politicians to ensure that they go about their business without spilling anyone’s blood. If they are sure that they want to serve Nigerians and not themselves, then they need to tread softly.
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Nigeria ought to have advanced from the level of using political thugs and killing people in the name of election. Most of our politicians are well-travelled and they are aware that in developed countries, they do not kill people in the name of politics or election.”
It is very common among our people. If the politicians know that they want to truly serve the people, they should stop killing them because if they kill everyone, who would they govern? This is why I am advising all our politicians to take it easy,” Abiara said.
Meanwhile, NAIJ.com previously reported that the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, had called on Nigerians to protect the nation's democracy.
Saraki while delivering his 2018 Democracy Day message urged Nigerians not to take for granted the continued democratic dispensation the country has been enjoying for the past 19 years.
He advised that the Nigerian people guard against actions, statements and moves which can truncate the political process.
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Source: Naija.ng