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VC charges Nigerian leaders on unity through religious diversity

By John Akubo, Lokoja
25 June 2018   |   4:02 am
Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Lokoja (FUL), Professor Angela Freeman Miri, at the weekend challenged Nigerian leaders to capitalise on religious diversity to achieve unity among the people for a peaceful coexistence.

Professor Angela Freeman Miri

Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Lokoja (FUL), Professor Angela Freeman Miri, at the weekend challenged Nigerian leaders to capitalise on religious diversity to achieve unity among the people for a peaceful coexistence.

Professor Miri spoke when members of the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) had a Ramadan breakfast in Lokoja, Kogi State.She spoke against the backdrop that most politicians use religion to divide the electorate for their selfish interests, arguing that the violence across the world had reduced human life to nothing.Her words: “I shudder when I watch many of the foreign news like CNN, BBC or Aljezera because the level of violence around the world is frightening.

“One will begin to wonder whether we have lost our humanity or we no longer value human lives, life belongs to God, no one on earth has the right to take another’s life.”She said people should learn to live in peace and reduce the current level of killings around the world.

Citing the level of peace at the FUL, she attributed the development to the three religious leaders on campus who exhibit exemplary lives of religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence.“We have religious leaders in this campus who believe in religious tolerance and who have provided veritable example on campus on how we should live in peace with one another.

“I have always said they are role models in this university because if you see the three of them, the two Christian leaders and our Chief Imam are indeed brothers in Christ and in Allah,” she added.

The event, which featured lectures on unity and harmonious living among Christians and Muslims, saw adherents of both religions mingling freely with one another, as they ended their fast together at the FUL.

Chairman of JNI, Ambassador Usman Bello, indicated that the Annual Joint Ifta (breakfast dinner) was meant for the leadership of JNI and CAN to forge a common front for peace and harmonious coexistence in the country.He pointed out that since the two religions constitute about 80 per cent of the state population, they have to leverage on that strength to sustain religious harmony in Kogi and beyond.

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