The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Dioscese, Rev. Mathew Hassan-Kukah, the Executive Secretary of the National Mosque, Abuja, Alhaji Ibrahim Jega and the Primate of All Nigeria Anglican Communion, Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh, have urged Nigerians to prioritise inter-religious dialogue to foster peace.
They gave the advice at a one-day national inter-faith peace meeting organised by the Community of Sant’Egidio Nigeria yesterday in Abuja.
“This country is haemorrhaging badly as we are losing the seeds of the future. Too many young people who are the investment of the future are losing their lives, and this is either in the North-east, motor accidents or avoidable diseases,” Kukah said.
He said Nigeria’s case was not as bad as Colombia’s which recently signed a peace deal with the rebels to end a 40-year war, and that it was left for the youth to look to the future as it is theirs to build.
“It is the responsibility of the government to take charge and full responsibility for why there is no peace in Nigeria. I don’t believe the problems of Nigeria are caused by Christians or Muslims, I think the problems are caused by lack of capacity,” he said.
Alhaji Ibrahim Jega said interfaith dialogue was well documented in the qur’an and the bible but had been abandoned.
“We need to chart a new course on how to live in unity. We need to promote peaceful coexistence, to be sincere in the preaching of our two religions, Islam preaches peace, the bible preaches love, we should be just once we stick to the teachings of our religion,” he said.
Rev. Okoh urged sustained dialogue and respect for other people’s religious beliefs to build and sustain peace.
He said: “We have fared well but we are still having lots of problems, after 56 years we are still struggling to have an identity. Many people still doubt whether they are Nigerians. As an individual, if at 56 you don’t know who you are or where you are going then there is a problem. Our government should strive to give us an identity such that there will be a national dream so that if you are a Nigerian carrying that green passport, you have that dream.”
