The Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu has cautioned faith leaders against reckless and provocative utterances that may further aggravate the security crises ravaging Nigeria.
Governor Sanwo-Olu who gave the admonition on Saturday at the 2021 Lagos State Inter-denominational Divine Service (IDDS), organised by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) at The Apostolic Church in Ketu; stressed the need for all notable leaders to refrain from making incendiary comments, capable of stoking divisions and violence in the nation.
According to him, a crisis in Nigeria would be catastrophic for Africa.
Sanwo-Olu, the newly installed grand patron of the Christian body in the state urged religious leaders to use their pulpits to preach peace and discourage war, saying, it was time for citizens to come together to give Nigeria the new beginning it deserved in surmounting the contemporary challenges the nation is facing.
He said: “We have all witnessed the challenges of our country, but we need to be careful not to turn the observed crises into an ethnic or religious war. We need to guide against utterances that may stereotype anyone or their tribe. We have a duty to isolate criminals in our communities, rather than introducing tribal spin into every crime,”
He further stressed that the crises bedeviling the nation required collective action from every segment of the country towards proffering solution. The Governor thanked religious groups across the State for sustaining Lagos with prayers.
Also, the lawmaker representing Lagos Central in the Senate, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, was named the Matron of the association, while Reverend Mother Esther Ajayi was appointed Grand Matron.
Other awardees were Senator Solomon Adeola and Sir Olu Okeowo.
