By Correspondent in Minna.
Those in leadership position in Nigeria have been advised to carry people along in the act of governance by understanding and respecting the country’s heterogeneity and as well ensure that; equity, justice and fairness rules in all business of government.
By imbibing the culture of leadership,multidimensional challenges of the country can be surmounted and the desired social, economic and political development achieved.
Pastor Pastor PeteRock Sadiq, the Resident Pastor of, House on the Rock Church, Minna, Niger state, gave the advice while speaking with journalists on Saturday in Minna, ahead of the 3rd Edition of its annual Christian musical concernt tagged ‘Shout’.
Pastor Sadiq argued that, being humans, there was bound to be anger and disenchantments where discrimination, inequality, lack of fairness and injustice meted out to a section of the country.
He argued that while the government owed Nigerians a duty to consider the multi-ethnicities and religious divides in key appointments, Nigerians were expected to play their part by supporting government by avoiding sensitive comments capable of creating chaos.
The cleric expreeesed concern over the damaging consequences of leaders not doing enough to bridge the gap and followers also not playing their part for a peaceful Nigeria.
He said: “Nigerian leaders may not be that bad but may be overwhelmed by the numerous challenges. Both the leaders and followers have a role to play in ensuring that there is peace.”
“Both leaders and the led have key roles to play in building the Nigeria of our collective dreams. Everything should be balanced to ensure equity and end discordant voices of marginalization and related clamour”.
“It is not about a Christian, a Moslem or any other thing at the helms, because the two nmajor religions preach peace and love. It is not about an Igbo, a Yoruba or Hausa as the driver because Nigeria is bigger than any single tribe and we still have both good and bad in all the tribes, political divides and regions”.
“We have both Christians and Moslems in my family. Let is not use religion as a people to short-change one another. What Nigeria is yearning for now is about having someone who would as a father not leave out any of his children in sharing what rightly belongs to all of them.
“In Christianity, Jesus is love and for the Moslems, they preach peace, he emphasized, adding that the major thing that has kept Nigeria at a cross-roads is insincerity and sentiments on the part of leaders, this he said is threatening the very foundation of Nigeria.
For the most populous black nation in the world to take its rightful place in global reckoning, the Clergy man said it was important that both leaders and followers come to terms with the realities on ground and work out modalities that would give equal sense of belonging to every Nigerian, irrespective of religious, tribal or regional inclinations.
As a Nigerian, from a family of mixed religion, living peace with one another, the Clergy man said he believed that the problem of Nigeria was not more than what could be resolved, “if government embraces every Nigerian as one and ensure that whatever is meant for all is equitably shared”.
He said the annual event was to provide enabling environment for Christians in the 19 northern states and beyond to come together, glorify God and as well pray for God’s intervention in the insecurity threatening the peace of the country.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
