Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, said the federal government will continue supporting NIREC to promote peace and religious tolerance, especially as the president wants to cater for Nigerians with his Renewed Hope Agenda.
He said: “It gives me great joy to attend this fourth quarter meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) in my capacity as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
“I am attending this meeting for the first time and I thank the leadership of NIREC under the Co-Chairmanship of His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, CFR, mni, and the President of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), His Eminence, Archbishop (Dr) Daniel Okoh for your invitation.
“From the documentary of NIREC, I understand that NIREC is the highest body of peace-building and conflict management in Nigeria. It is glad to know that NIREC is in collaboration with Religions for Peace (RIP) whose headquarters is in New York, USA, and Africa Council for Religious leaders whose headquarters is in Nairobi Kenya.
“That Nigeria is the headquarters of the West Africa Inter-Religious Council shows that Nigeria has an important role to play in promoting and maintaining peaceful co-existence beyond Nigeria to the neighbouring countries of West Africa
“Since 1999, the various governments of the nation have supported NIREC to the extent that the office of NIREC is in the Federal Secretariat complex. May I quickly thank NIREC for the eminent role played in the past to sustain the hope of Nigerians by ensuring that there is religious peace and harmony in the country
“The theme of this fourth quarter meeting Restoration of Hope in Nigeria” is very laudable at this point in the history of our dear Nation. The essence of this administration is to rekindle hope in our citizens, hence”Renewed Hope”, was the mantra of our campaign in preparation for the 2023 elections. The government at all levels need the cooperation of religious leaders to use religion to restore human dignity to the citizens and not to use religion to divide the people of the nation. Religion is very sensitive and volatile hence religious leaders should encourage religious preachers to emphasize what can promote mutual understanding while the political leaders work for the common good and welfare of the people.”
He added: “What exactly can renew and restore the hope of the citizens? The first thing we must do as Christians and Muslims is to have absolute trust in God. We Need to also believe that God is the king maker, for if the Lord does not build a house, in vain do the builder’s labor, if the Lord does not watch over the city, in vain does the watchman keep vigil (Psalm 127:1)
“I therefore call on the Nigerian citizens to trust that the incumbent administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will do all that it takes to address the challenges of hunger and poverty. With our human and natural resources Nigerians have no reason to live in penury. This government will not weaponize religion and ethnicity as you can see in the appointments so far by the President.We are laying a foundation that will put smiles on the faces of the citizens. This Is why we call for a renewed hope. Let us live in unity to a point that, though tongue and tribe may differ, in unity we must stand”
“The media is a very useful means of proclaiming the message of hope. However, this message can bring despair without media honesty. I, therefore call on journalists and social media bloggers to kindle the hope in our people. It is hoped that as this government pursues the agenda of a renewed hope, a time will come where graduates will be gainfully employed with our promise of effective leadership. To grow a healthy society, there is need for justice and good governance. This is our promise of hope to the nation
“This government believes in consultation with all levels and societal class to achieve the development in terms of security, human development and peaceful co-existence. The transformation of any society depends on the level of the positive change of attitude of each individual from the ruling class to the grass root. Apart from the effort of government to renew and restore the hope of the citizens, every Nigerian is a stakeholder in national development by having a change of attitude and renewed mentality
“This change of attitude and hope in Nigeria will stop the Nigerian youths from running away from their dear native land to voluntarily offering themselves as free slaves through the Sahara, Mediterranean and Atlantic human trafficking appreciate the support of my predecessor, Boss Mustapha to NIREC. He was passionate about NIREC because of the role the council is playing in supporting the government. I promise to also play my role to the best of my ability.”
The Co-chairman, Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) and the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, said despite the challenges Nigeria is facing, it is still much better than other countries.
Sa’ad who is President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), stated this at the 4th Quarter and last NIREC meeting of the year on Tuesday in Abuja, with the theme “Restoration of Hope in Nigeria.”
The Islamic Leader urged Nigerians to come together to find a common course, and to pray for the leaders to engage in good deeds for the benefit of Nigeria and Nigerians.
He said: “We are working to save and to make Nigeria a better and more peaceful place but the bottom line is we must hold ourselves accountable. When things are bad, we must say so when things are good we must say so.
“We must also love our country, we must be very patriotic. We cannot just everyday condemn the country. We must admit that yes, we have problems in our country, but we are much better off than other countries and it’s important for us to be very patriotic.
“We must pray for our leaders; when you pray for a leader who does good things, you will enjoy your benefit. If you allow them to do whatever they want to do you will suffer for the consequences so continue to pray for our leaders.
“We must always do what is right as religious leaders, we must talk to our People we must never lose hope. If there are challenges and there are difficulties brought about by God, let’s come together, pray to Almighty to reduce this pressure that we are facing not only in our country, not only in our homes, but everywhere.
“Let’s come together and see how we can help the government to do what they should do, and I believe we will, at the end of the day be better off as a country called Nigeria. That’s why we must come together to find a common cause.
The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Archbishop Daniel Okoh who is also the Co-chairman of NIREC also stated that although some Nigerians who could no longer stand the extreme difficulties and strife in Nigeria have ran off in search of greener pastures in other countries. He maintained that the migration commonly known as “japa syndrome,” was not the solution.
According to him, the government needs to restore the faith and hope of Nigerians in the nation’s governance by making deliberate efforts and unifying actions, especially in the management of resources in an accountable and transparent manner
He said: “In recent years, our nation has faced numerous challenges that have shaken the very core of our unity and stability. From insecurity and violence to political tensions and economic hardships, the Nigerian people have endured strife and extreme difficulties; those who could not bear the situation migrated to other nations in search of greener pastures in what is commonly known today in Nigeria as Japa Syndrome.
“However, the solution is not in running away to other countries but in finding ways to restore hope of the citizens in our dear country, Nigeria. Nigeria is blessed with abundance of human and natural resources more than many nations of the world but we need to get it right on the management of these resources for the good of all.
“Good governance, therefore is key as we consider restoration of hope in Nigeria. We must get to that level where Nigerians would be convinced to have faith in those in governance. For this to happen, we must all develop a culture where transparency and accountability are celebrated; a system where public officers are held accountable for their actions and inactions during their tenures in office or after leaving office.”
The CAN President who said religious leaders could create bridges of understanding and work towards a common vision of hope urged them to always encourage and support initiatives that prioritise peacebuilding, conflict resolution, and the equitable distribution of resources.
“By working together, beyond any religious or ethnic barriers, we can rebuild the moral fabric of our nation and restore the hope of Nigerians in their nation so that the trend of migration can be reversed in no distant time”, Okoh said.
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, Senator George Akume, said the federal government will continue supporting NIREC to promote peace and religious tolerance, especially as the president wants to cater for Nigerians with his Renewed Hope Agenda.){kind=link}