Let me congratulate you as you prepare to mark the centenary of Catholicism here in Oro town.
A hundred years in the life of any person or organization is no mean feat, hence it is always worthy of celebration.
We have been invited to this celebration, which comes up in Oct 29 to Nov. 1 2018, and we will play our part in the celebration.
The Catholic Church here in Oro is a shining example of religious harmony and peaceful coexistence. It is has demonstrated, in practical terms, what religious harmony means.
It’s to the eternal credit of this church that for several years, it made its premises available, free of charge, for the annual Ramadan lecture, which I organize. Now, I am sure that, against the background of the acrimony and mutual suspicion that many religious leaders are promoting today, many cannot believe that a church will throw its gates open to a Muslim. But that’s what this Catholic church did for many years
Ramadan lecture held annually attended by chiefs of the town, 80% of whom are Christians
The lesson from this is that the religious disharmony that is being propagated today by some religious leaders is avoidable, and that adherents of the two major religions do not have to be enemies.
The killings in some parts of the country, which are purely criminal and unacceptable, have been latched upon by many to divide the two religions. Thank God the killings have now gone down drastically, thanks to the efforts of the security forces. Today, the rethorics coming out of religious organizations are divisive, incendiary and provocative. They are not healthy for peaceful co-existence and should be stopped forthwith.
Thank God that those who sought to give the Clashes between farmers and herders in Benue and Taraba, among others, a religious coloration have failed. The Clashes are neither religious nor ethnic. They result from the heightened contest for increasingly-scarce natural resources like land and water, due to demographic, environmental and other reasons. The Muslims who rustle the cattle of fellow Muslims in Zamfara don’t care about religion. Ditto for Kebbi, where 70% of those in the state prisons are there because of Clashes between farmers and herders. Yet, the farmers are Muslim Fulani and the herders are Muslim Fulani.
The church and the mosque are not enemies. The Catholic Church and the Muslim community here in Oro have proved it. There is no religious war in Nigeria, except that concocted by religious bigots to serve their own ends.
