‘Some people using religion for economic, political agenda’

President Muhammadu Buhari says some people hide under the canopy of religion to advance their economic and political agenda.

He stated this Tuesday at Nouakchott, Mauritania, while meeting with Rashad Hussain, United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom.

The president, according to a statement by his spokesman, Femi Adesina, said continuous education was needed so that the larger populace would not be hoodwinked.

Buhari, who narrated his private meeting at the White House with former President Donald Trump, recalled Trump asking him: “why’re you killing Christians in Nigeria,” and how he proceeded to tell him that the issue in the country was not religious, but rather criminal, and a usage of religion by some elements to further their economic, and sometimes, political interests.

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“It’s a problem Nigeria has been struggling with for a long time, and it’s completely unnecessary,” he said.

“Some people use religion as sentiment, but with adequate education, people are seeing through it now. Majority of the people just want to practise their religion without problem, but some people cash in on religious misunderstanding for their own ends.

“When people are educated, they’re able to discern when others want to use religion for certain ends. They do it mostly for material reasons.

“Also, when some people are incompetent, they bring in all sorts of excuses, including religion,” he added.

Ambassador Hussain said the US was interested in partnering with Nigeria in the areas of formal and non-formal education, towards religious harmony.