President Goodluck Jonathan has appealed to Nigerians to be calm and prayerful as Government intensifies efforts to wipe out terrorism ravaging parts of the country.
Jonathan, represented by the Minister of Power, Prof Chinedu Nebo, made the appeal in Abuja on Friday at the opening of the 2014 Synod of the Abuja Diocese (Anglican Communion), urging Nigerians not to despair in the face of terror but to rise stronger against the insurgents and their sponsors.
He assured that Nigeria would emerge stronger and better when the insurgents were eventually defeated, adding that the collective will of the majority is greater than the interest of a few persons.
“These threats to our society should not be taken lightly by citizens; we must all rise strongly against our enemies. I must also state categorically that Nigeria will get to the Promise Land in spite of the setbacks, we are already on the right path and we must surely move forward as a nation’’, he said.
Jonathan thanked the Church for the prayers and urged them not to relent and expressed hope that the present challenges would soon be addressed.
Earlier, the Primate of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), the Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh, urged Nigerians to support the federal government in tackling challenges confronting the nation.
Okoh stressed the need for Nigerians of different religious and political backgrounds to put sentiments aside and join the fight against ills in the society.
The primate, who spoke on a wide range of national issues, welcomed the proposal by President Goodluck Jonathan for the extension of emergency rule in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States.
“For me, the country should consider the benefits of the emergency rule in the states where the insurgents have held sway.
“In a situation where it is ascertained that the emergency rule has helped, the legislature should not waste time to approve the President’s proposal. As long as our problems have not been solved, emergency rule should continue’’, he said.
On the clashes between herdsmen and farmers, Okoh advised governments at all levels to adopt measures that would be beneficial to both farmers and herdsmen.
He said the incessant clashes that usually claimed many lives and property must be contained in the interest of national unity.
Okoh advised politicians to be cautious as the 2015 general elections draw nearer, noting that their actions could make or mar the entire process.
He urged government to make efforts to address varied issues plaguing different segments of society but held that the future would be bright.
In a related development, the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, welcomed the proposal for the extension of state of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa.
Oritsejafor, who spoke at CAN’s one day prayer for Nigeria in Abuja, said the conditions that warranted the emergency rule had not been addressed hence the extension.
He urged politicians to put their differences aside and join the federal government in the fight against terrorism in Nigeria.
The CAN president, however, advised government not to trade the abducted Chibok schoolgirls for Boko Haram members in detention.
He pledged the Church’s continued prayers and support for government’s counter-insurgency campaign.
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