“They should ensure that they do not destroy Nigeria because there is very high tension; it looks like a do or die type of affair.”
Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha
The Archbishop, Metropolitan and Primate of all Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Most Rev. Dr. Nicholas Okoh, has tasked politicians on peaceful election saying that the 2019 elections should not been seen as do or die affair.
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He urged that politicians should do everything possible to ensure that Nigeria remains intact because if the country is destroyed, there is nowhere to contest for anything anymore.
Okoh gave the warning during the 10th year anniversary/thanksgiving service of the Diocese of Mbamili, dedication of women’s skill acquisition centre and foundation-stone laying of the Cathedral project held at the Cathedral Church of St. Michael, Umuikwu, Anam, Province of the Niger, Anambra State, saying that politicians at this critical period, should be conscious of their utterance and comments some of which are capable of tearing the nation part. He urged them to focus on peace, justice and fairness during the elections.
“So in their utterance, in their mobilisation of people, in whatever thing they are doing, they should ensure that they do not destroy Nigeria because there is very high tension; it looks like a do or die type of affair. But, there are some people who have nowhere to go; most of them have houses abroad; so they should allow us enjoy peace here, in this local place, the only place we know or have; so whatever is their position or whatever is their thinking in the political office, they should allow us to stay here in peace. Peace is the issue.”
On the use of youths for thuggery, Okoh said: “The politicians should bring their children for thuggery and not use others’ while they send their children overseas.”
Speaking on the killing in some parts of the country he said: “Killing is not part of our Christian teaching; anybody who is killing people, is killing himself; if anybody is sponsoring killing, he should stop it because you need a healthy society for you to rule or for you to govern and for you to occupy any political office. We appeal to them to please allow peace to reign because it is in the atmosphere of peace that progress can take place whether at local, state or Federal government level.
“We will continue to talk about peace as we approach the election time. Peace should be predicated upon justice and fairness because if you don’t talk about justice, talk about fairness, it is difficult to realise peace.
“The church authorities know those priests in politics; the church authority should talk to them personally and not make general announcement,” Okoh stated.
In his remarks, the Bishop of Mbamili Diocese, Rt. Rev. Henry Okeke, said in the past ten years, the diocese had been undergoing several challenges of flooding that always sack the church, bad roads which make the area inaccessible both in the rainy and dry seasons.
He, however, appealed to both state and Federal governments to come to their aid in by rehabilitating the roads, saying that the community which is agrarian in nature found it difficult to take its farm produce to the urban centres. He added that it had been a difficult task to propagate the gospel of Christ to the entire place due to lack of access roads.
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