Prominent men of God in Ekiti State and Islamic clerics, have warned that the country may end up being destabilized if it fails to fight the canker-worm of ethnicity and religious crisis that are pummelling the nation.
They appealed to the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to stand its ground and curtail those threatening the sovereignty of the Nigerian nation, by fanning the ember of religion and ethnicity.
The President, League of Imams and Alfas in the Southwest, Edo and Delta States, Alhaji Jamiu Kewulere, the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Ekiti chapter, Pastor Rotimi Orikogbe and a man of God, Pastor R.O. Oso , said these in Ado Ekiti on Thursday during an interdenominational service held by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ekiti state.
The CAN boss lamented what he called senseless killings in Kwara, Benue and Rivers State on the eve of the new year festivity, where scores were killed in the midnight attacks.
He said these horrendous killings of innocent Nigerians didn’t portray Nigeria as a country that is united , the way it was supposed to be.
“Our value system had degenerated and that is why you see people , particularly politicians hiding under ethnicity and religion to perpetrate evil.
“Our situation has degenerated to a level where issue of national interest were being fatally wounded by these two issues that hadgained traction in the minds of our people.
“When issue that was supposed to be handled frontally were being discussed and culprits dealt with, you see our elites reading ethnic and religious meanings to it and this is very bad.
“That is why I am tasking the new NUJ Exco in Ekiti to be united and love one another to be able to make progress. Don’t allow money to influence your positions , because you are the mirror of the society”, he advised.
The chief Imam advised the federal government to put machinery in motion to ensure that every Nigerian can exercise their religious and political beliefs wherever they live without fear of molestation.
“We thank God that religious and ethnic problems are not prominent in Ekiti. All the religious leaders interrelated freely in Ekiti State.
“Myself, the Chief Imam in the entire south and our Bishops and.clerics are good friends, this is the way we want our people to behave all over Nigeria.
“It is wrong and not in the interest of Almighty Allah for people to kill in the name of religion. Allah is our creator and he won’t be happy when people were killed indiscriminately”, he said.
The NUJ, Ekiti Council , Mr Rotimi Ojomoyela, promised that he would commence a process of reconciliation to placate those who felt aggrieved about the outcome of the union’s election held last year December.
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