Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has
stressed the need for peaceful co-existence between Christian and
Muslim faithful to engender peace and unity in the country.
The Minister made the remarks in Oro, Kwara State, on Thursday at the
centenary celebration of the Saint Andrew’s Catholic Church, Oro, saying
that the massive socio-economic development that has been witnessed
in Oro over the years is largely due to the religious harmony in the town.
He said the lessons learnt from the 100 years of the existence of the
Saint Andrew’s Catholic Church in his hometown of Oro is that of
tolerance and peaceful co-existence between Christians and Muslims.
Mohammed, who attended the centenary Mass in the church, recalled that the premises of the Church was the venue, for three consecutive years, of his Annual Ramadan Lecture.
“Not only are we witnessing 100 years of Catholicism in Oro but actually we also witnessed 100 years of peaceful co-existence between Christianity and Islam and I think to me this is the most significant mark of this particular event.
“I think the lesson to learn is that no religion preaches violence, no
religion preaches hatred, every religion preaches peace and we should
all borrow a leaf from what is happening in this small town so that
all Nigerians can live together in peace,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Minister has reiterated the commitment of the Federal
Government to ensuring the safe release of Leah Sharibu, the remaining
hostage from the Dapchi kidnap.
“As for Leah Sharibu, our message to Nigerians is that they should
appreciate that as far as we are concerned, any of our citizens,
whether boy or girl, whether Muslim or Christian, is dear to us. We do
not look at Leah Sharibu from the prism of religion, we look at her as
a daughter of this country. We are doing our best to ensure the safe
release of Leah Sharibu,” he said.
