TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
THE Federal Government has called on Nigerians to continue to support its efforts at ensuring socio-economic development in the country.
The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, made the call on Friday when he received the Ecumenical and Episcopal Award of the Ijesa North Diocese of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion.
The ceremony was held at St Peter Anglican Church, Ijebu-Ijesa, Osun State.
Aregbesola said that the development of Nigeria could not be left in the hands of the government alone, but that the people would have to take responsibility for their own development to move the nation forward.
In a speech titled “Love is the foundation of faith”, the Minister said there was the need for self-examination among citizens with a view to making the necessary amendments for the benefit of the country, especially after many years independence.
He noted further that as humans, “we often do wrong things which strip us of coverings of dignity and honour and embarrassingly expose us to shame and disgrace.”
He added that “instead of owning up to our mistakes and making amends, we wrongly think the solution lies in hiding them.”
Aregbesola noted that he would be in Osun State for some days to carry out a Presidential directive on Ministers to engage their constituents on security in the aftermath of the #EndSARS protests in parts of the country.
He said President Muhammadu Buhari and the entire Federal Executive Council acknowledged the nation’s challenges, noting that, as Nigeria’s leader, “the President is confident of our collective capacity to surmount these challenges.”
The Minister appreciated the Anglican Diocese of Ijesa North and other churches for their support for him through prayers while he was governor of the state for eight years and for their continued prayers even as he stepped into a higher level of national service.
He called for continued dialogue and peaceful means of conflict resolution at all times, stressing that conflict prevention and quick resolution through dialogue were prerequisites for stability and security of lives and property as well as development of the country.
He emphasised, “We have regrettably seen after the protests that all the efforts of a century can be wiped out in a day, which will require not less than 50 years to recover from,” adding that security and how people protest should be well thought out and moderated.
Aregbesola therefore urged the youth to seek knowledge, dialogue and peaceful means of conflict resolution and interest articulation, saying that they should begin to think of the long-term consequences of their actions and embrace love.
Quoting from the Holy Bible, the Minister said, “I must not fail to add this for effect. Apostle Paul said in 1st Corinthians 13:13 ‘So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.’ Jesus Christ in Mark 12:31 says ‘The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’”
The Minister called on all Nigerians and the good people of Osun State in particular to attune their minds on how to make the state and the nation that haven of habitation, commerce, economic development and civilisation that citizens desired.
He assured that the Ecumenical and Episcopal Award conferred on him by the Bishop of Ijesa North Anglican Diocese would spur him to continue to seek peace, deepen inter-faith dialogue and promote the spirit of ecumenism.
Earlier, the Diocesan Bishop of Ijesa North Anglican Communion and Synod President, Rt. Revd Isaac I. Oluyamo JP, urged the Federal Government to address insecurity and youth’s unemployment in Nigeria, so as to prevent a future repeat of the recent #EndSARS protests.
He thanked President Buhari for the initiative through the engagement of his Cabinet to reach out to the people at the grassroots, as a step to finding a lasting solution to security challenges in the country.
