Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, has said that agitation for Biafra was legitimate, but campaigners should take appropriate channel to ventilate their discontent. Speaking at the Peace Conversation with religious leaders organized by the National Orientation Agency (NOA), in Abuja, the Minister urged religious leaders to serve as appealing voice to aggrieved people.
“At a time of agitations in some parts of the country by persons who believe their interests have not been well catered for in the Federation over the years, our religious leaders can serve as an appealing voice to these aggrieved citizens,” he said.
The Minister said it is the duty of religious leaders to preach undiluted messages of their faiths and making their followers see the reasons Nigeria has to stay together as an indivisible entity.
He said: “You, our revered religious leaders, have a great role to play in this respect. Top on the list of these roles is the need to de-radicalize those who have been exposed to extremist and violent view of religion, especially in the North-east.
“It is important for you, our religious leaders, to highlight the pristine and unadulterated version of the two dominant religious faith, Christianity and Islam, to remind all the adherents of both faith that nowhere did any of them preach hatred and violence.
Stressing the necessity for peace to reign in the country, the Minister said the level of destruction in the north-east region is inexplicable for the government to allow another set of people to plunge another part of the country into war.
“The kind of destruction and devastation that I saw in those areasconvinced me, more than ever, that the perpetrators are not adherents of any religion but a bunch of mad people.
“Our religious leaders must make this point loud and clear for the benefit of the gullible ones who may want to believe that those perpetrating the heinous killings in the North-east subscribe to any faith.”
The Minister explained that with the effort of the Nigerian Militaryto restore peace to the troubled region, it beholds on all and sundry to join hands with the government to promote peace in the country. Pointblanknews.com
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