LAGOS – A Catholic cleric, Rev. Fr. Anthony Fariogun, on Tuesday urged Nigerians to promote tolerance and make self sacrifice to end insurgency in the country.
Fariogun, a senior lecturer at the All Saints Major Seminary, Ekpoma, Edo, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that certain ingredients that were required to promote unity in the country were lacking.
“As the nation marks 54 years of existence the major virtues that will promote our existence are tolerance and sacrifice.
“Tolerance and sacrifice are basic demands that can end disunity, hatred, violence, corruption and other vices that are capable of destabilising our nation,” he told NAN. [eap_ad_2] The cleric said if all Nigerians made effort at imbibing little tolerance and respect for each other, irrespective of religious or ethnic differences, crisis would be avoided.
“We must learn to accommodate each other; God does not encourage differences; other countries only made it with concerted unified planning and not promoting selfish interests,’’ he said.
According to him, the diversity of interests has continued to be a major threat to governance because, it not well managed, individual differences often override the interest of the country.
He noted that the current insurgency in some parts of the country was being fuelled by a few selfish individuals who placed personal interests above that of the country.
“The problem of corruption, unemployment, political instability, tribal and religious tensions could be overcome if political leaders place the interest of the nation above personal interests,’’ he said.
He further called on the Federal and state governments not to relent in their efforts in curbing the ongoing Boko Harram crisis.
Fariogun also urged the youth to resist attempts by politicians to lure them into fomenting trouble and heating the political climate as elections approached.
NAN recalls the cleric had on Sept. 27 in Akure launched two books he authored titled, ‘Face to Face with death’ and ‘Education under the state and the church’’. (NAN) [eap_ad_3]