The Director General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, has encouraged Nigerians to use the lessons for Easter season to imbibe the values of love, tolerance, and unity in their relationship with one another.
Issa-Onilu in a statement made available to Radio Nigeria in Asaba, described Easter as a season of sacrifice, reconciliation, and renewed hope,
He urged Nigerians to imbibe these values in their daily interactions with one another, transcending the barriers of faith, ethnicity, and political affiliation.
The NOA DG who described the current moment as a critical period in the nation’s history, stressed that, Nigeria’s strength lies in the diversity of its people and the collective will to forge a united and prosperous country out of diversity.
He warned that terrorists and other criminal elements remain the greatest enemies of the Nigerian states, cautioning that, Nigerians must not allow these destructive forces to succeed in their sinister agenda to destabilise the unity of the country.
Issa-Onilu pointed the recent bomb attacks in Maiduguri, Borno State, during the last Ramadan, and the deadly assault on Angwan Rukuba community in Jos on Palm Sunday as clear evidence of the grave threat these enemies of progress pose to unity and peace of the country.
He assured Nigerians that, the federal government is not relenting her efforts to tackle the menace of insecurity, noting that, President Bola Tinubu led administration, remains fully committed to deploying every available resource and strategy to achieve everlasting solution to problems across the country.
The NOA helmsman appealed to both Christians and Muslims across the country to stand firmly together in the face of these threats, stressing that, the terrorists and their sponsors are the common enemies of all Nigerians and must not be allowed to drive a wedge between adherents of the two faiths or undermine the nation’s long-standing tradition of peaceful coexistence.
The DG further noted that, it is only through unity, Nigeria can effectively defeat the forces of terror, urging religious leaders, traditional rulers, and community stakeholders to use the Easter season to deliver good messages of peace, tolerance, and mutual respect among their followers.
Issa-Onilu appealed to the media and civil society organizations to play an active role in countering the divisive narratives and hate speech that terrorists and their sympathisers often exploit to recruit, radicalise, and set communities of different faiths against one another.
He extended his warm Easter felicitations to Christians across Nigeria, expressing hope that, the season will usher in renewed hope, healing, and harmony for the Nigerians.
