By Rukayat Adeyemi
Lagos – Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun, Vice-Chancellor, Lagos State University (LASU), on Saturday urged Nigerians to tolerate one another to surmount the current religious crisis confronting the nation.
Fagbohun said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Lagos that there was no justification for anyone to turn into extremist on the basis of religion.
He said citizens must learn to respect themselves, tolerate one another and continuously work towards improving the lives of people around them.
“All of us must learn to be tolerant of one another because religion is by faith, so why must we continue to kill ourselves.
“Why must we turn into extremist on the basis of religion? We must learn to respect ourselves; we must learn to tolerate one another.
“And we must continuously ask ourselves, what can I do to improve the lives of other people around me and beyond me.
“When you look at religion, you’ll see clearly that it is not as if anybody can say that yes, I am 100 per cent sure that that religion is the one that is right.
“It is by faith, you believe by faith that, that religion you are doing is right. It is by faith.
“So, at the end of the day, for as long as it is by faith, it is not two plus two four that science would show you; religion is different from that, so why must we not be tolerant of ourselves.’’
The VC decries situations where people feels a particular religion is superior to another, adding that people must stop judging one another on any basis in order to maintain social harmony and respect for humanity.
“Who am I to say that you are wrong in your faith; there is no basis for it because if you look at some of the scriptures, God said don’t judge so that you will not be judged.
“So, why do I now feel that she is wrong or he is wrong simply because he is not of my own faith? I must be tolerant.
“And at the end of the day, all I need to give information about my own religion; when he gives me information about his own religion, the one I think I can leave with, I will accept it.
“Do your religion but be focus on progress of the nation, be focus on progress of the institution where you are; be focus on making your impact on humanity; be focus on making a different to humanity, that is what matters in life.’’