Anglican Bishop of Evo Diocese in Rivers State, Rt. Rev. Innocent Ordu, has urged Nigerians irrespective of religious and political affiliations to live in peace.
Ordu stated this on Friday night while delivering a sermon at Saint Barnabas Anglican Church, Elekahia, Port Harcourt during a thanksgiving church service to mark the end of a one-day fast declared by the Rivers State government to seek divine intervention in the crisis in Nigeria.
He noted that the political, economic, social, and religious atmosphere prevalent in Nigeria was an indication that the country is threading the same path that led to the 1967 civil war.
The cleric said: “The situation in Nigeria is highly tensed up. The political, economic, social, and religious atmosphere is highly volatile. That is how Nigeria is today. By what is going on, Nigeria is threading the same path that led to the 1967 civil war.
“If we do not refrain from religious bigotry and other social vices and listen to the voice of God Almighty, the resultant effect would be very disastrous. God help us”, he said
The Bishop called on Nigerians to seek the face of God in order to find solution to the socio-economic, political and religious challenges facing the country, saying; “we need to hear from God to know how to live together as people of one country”.
In his speech, Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) and Rivers State Governor, Mr. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi assured Nigerians that the face-off between the Federal Government and the organised labour would be resolved very soon.
The governor said; “Very very soon, we should be able to resolve our differences with labour. That is the assurance that I am giving to Nigerians.”
Amaechi called on Nigerians to pray for the success of the on-going dialogue between government and the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in Abuja.
He appealed to Nigerians to always cooperate with their political leaders so that they can get the best of them.
Also speaking, the Arch-Bishop of Niger Delta Province of the Anglican Communion, Most Rev. Ignatius Kattey advised Nigerians to stop casting aspersion on the person of the President of the Federation, no matter the situation.
“No matter what we do, we should not cast aspersion on the person of the President. Rather, we should pray to God to help him fulfil his promises to us”, Kattey said.