The Chairman of Ajoni Local Council Development Area of Ekiti State, Hon, (Amb.), Prince Michael Ogungbemi fcpa has advised Nigerians to resist those fanning the ember of religious dissonance and ethnic bigotry to destabilize the country.
Prince Ogungbemi said religious intolerance and ethnic bigotry, were fertile grounds for social ills like political crisis, banditry, killing and kidnapping, urging Nigerians to reject those who are weaponising religion and ethnicity to cause unnecessary cleavages and disunity in the system
The Council Chairman, gave the advice, in his message of hope to Ekiti issued on Saturday, felicitating the Christians, who are celebrating the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ globally.
Exuding confidence that Nigeria will soon overcome all its challenges and emerge stronger economically and politically, the council boss, said those who are feasting on the country’s religious, ethnic and political fault lines to cause disaffection were doing so for selfish reasons, which he said needs a lot of resistance.
Prince Ogungbemi emphasized the imperative of Nigerians coming together this period, regardless of religious, political and ethnic differential and work unitedly to defeat the cankerworms of corruption, insecurity, ritual killings, internet fraud, unemployment and brigandage rippling and quaking the nation’s foundation.
“As I congratulate the Christians all over Nigeria on Easter celebration, I think it is necessary to also preach that for the death of Jesus Christ not to be in vain, they must embrace his virtues of love, sacrifice, humility, honesty, spirit of brotherhood and tolerance.
“This can reflect in our lives by way of shunning corruption, ethnic and religious fanaticism, political crisis and disrespect for leadership. Even Bible makes us to understand that we must show respect to our leaders.
“When they are not doing well, we can correct and offer prayers for God to lead them to the path of righteousness. Those who are poised on destabilizing the country using the weapons of religion and ethnicity knew their evil plans. We must be well informed and spirited to resist their devilish and perilous agenda.
“Unity and peace are very key to the development and overall survival of any nation. We must allow these to thrive and remain sustainable in our nation with Christians perceiving their Muslim brothers as one united in God. Religious contest often brew crisis and we must resist it at all cost”.
On the increasing spate of insecurity in the nation, Ogungbemi, counseled that the situation will subside with all Nigerian citizens partnering the relevant agencies to fight the scourge.
Prince Ogungbemi stressed the need for christians to reflect on the virtues of Jesus Christ, particularly the doctrines and principles of tolerance, interpersonal relations, and self evaluation, to ascertain whether one is walking on the way of righteousness or not.
“A nation grows faster when citizens do self evaluation and when some are somewhere hurling insults at their leaders in the name of opposition. No political party can solely develop a country, it is the collective will of all citizens that can achieve this great task”.
