By Salisu Sani-Idris
Abuja – The FCT Minister of State, Dr Ramatu Aliyu, on Friday urged religious leaders to use their God given positions to curb social vices bedevilling the youths in the country.
Aliyu gave the advice when a delegation of National Leader of the Arewa Pastors Non-Denominational Initiative for Peace led by its National Chairman, Bishop John Abu Richard, paid her a courtesy call in Abuja.
The minister admonished clergymen in the country to pray against insurgency and other vices bedevilling the nation, stressing that the peace and stability of Nigeria was not negotiable.
“It is easy for anybody or group to blame government for the insecurity challenges facing us as a nation, but I must tell you that as religious leaders, you have a greater role to play to curb the social vices among our youths that could lead to a full blown terrorism.
“I say this with all sense of responsibility because the perpetrators of this crimes are members of one religious group or the other.
“In fact, they are either Christians or Muslims. Therefore, if you use your God given position to propagate the teachings of the Holy Books, it will go a long way in curbing the social vices.
“And by so doing, we have solved over 50 per cent of our security challenges,”Aliyu said.
The minister said that the recent cases of young marriages failing and killings among young couples could be traced to lack of good parenting and moral upbringing in the society.
Earlier, the National Leader of the Arewa Pastors Non-Denominational Initiative for Peace, Bishop John Richard, commended the FCT Minister of State for what he described as “impactful transformation” in less than a year of her appointment as minister.
Richard told the minister that the group came from various parts of the country to identity with her remarkable successes in the Federal Capital Territory.
He assured the minister of the group’s continuous prayers for more successes, peace and development in the nation’s capital under her leadership.
He also commended the minister for her motherly heart in carrying both Muslims and Christians along in the appointment of her political aides without any form of religious discrimination.
He solicited for more appointments and employments for their members into the Christian Pilgrim Board considering the group support to President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
“We assure you of the continuous mobilisation of our membership to pray for President Muhammadu Buhari, his lieutenants, and support the APC government to transform Abuja to rank among the best 10 cities in the world.
(NAN)