Nigeria has worst religious crises in Africa — Goodluck Jonathan
By Matthew Denis, Abuja
The Former President of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has disclosed that Nigeria has the worst religious crisis cases in Africa.
The Former President made the disclosure as a special guest at the 70th Birthday Celebration of Matthew Hassan Kukah Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese Organised by the Kukah Centre held in Sheraton hotel Abuja on Wednesday.
“Look at all the countries in West Africa there is no country that we don’t have Christians and Muslims but that of Nigeria is having a different proportion. Most of these countries have their problems but in terms of religion, the kind of crisis that religion is bringing to us Nigeria is the worst.
“And we must cure that and consider Nigeria as our nation and we youths are faced with good opportunity of choosing our leaders as elections are coming up now.”
Dr. Jonathan stressed that as the elections are around the corner Nigerians should vote for people they believed can fix this country.
“We must have a country we all believe in. If you look at the speeches of our leaders made during the independent because we had three regions, people were thinking about their regions, even now some people will tell you that Nigeria is not a nation because of some technical definitions. Yes, we know because it’s not only Nigeria that we have different nationalists coming together to form a nation.
“Almost all the countries in Africa, I can say, there is no country that you will see only one nationality that is common in Arab world, Latin America and so on. But others have been able to come together and have a country that all of them are living.
“What is holding Nigeria back is that until we believe that we have a country no matter your right or what you are worshipping, we have equal rights before we can have a headway.
“When I was in office I got some challenges that some parts in Eastern Nigeria, when a Muslim dies to get a land for burial is a case, and some parts of the North if a Christian group wants to build a church he cannot get land from the government. So other persons have to go and get lands individually and donate to the church before they can build.
“I set-up a Committee comprising of Governors that we must stop this division because it will not lead us to anywhere. Unfortunately, that came towards the end of my administration and we couldn’t go that too far.
“ What’s worrying us that a Nigerian must be proud of being a Nigerian no matter how you worship the Lord.”
The Former President tasked all to come out en mass and vote for credible candidate to pilot this country in the right direction.
“Towards this goal, we are again faced with a good opportunity of choosing our leaders as the nation prepares to go to the polls next year. Let us choose those that will take us to the desired destination and the promised land.
“I am particularly thrilled that Nigerian youths are participating actively in the politics of 2023. According to the latest figures from INEC, youths constitute the majority of the 96.2 million registered voters, in the build-up to the next election. That is a good sign. My charge to all the youths that have registered ahead of the 2023 elections is to endeavour to walk their talk by making sure they come out to vote on election day.
“They should, by all means, resist the machinations of unscrupulous politicians who would wish to exploit them by luring them to commit acts of violence or disrupt the process of free and fair elections. Our recent experience with the heightened youth interest in politics shows how desirous they are of participating directly in the governance process. They now know better not to lend their youthful energy to unpatriotic acts, during elections.”
The highlight of the programme was fundraising for the proposed Kukah School of Government and top dignitaries that graced the occasion were the APC Presidential Candidate, Ahmed Bola Tinubu and his running mate, Sen. Kassim Shetima, Chairman of Nigerian Governors Forum and Ekiti state Governor, Dr. John Fayemi and his other four counterparts were Aminu Tambuwal Sokoto, Emmanuel Udom Akwa-Ibom, Goodwin Obaseki of Edo, Simeon Lalong of plateau state.
Other dignitaries were Catholic Bishops, Sen. Dino Melaye, Barr. Nuhu Ribado former EFCC boss among others.
