To guard the rights of residents, the chief secretary of the Nationwide Human Rights Fee (NHRC), Dr Tony Ojukwu, has reiterated the dedication of the company to entrench and deepen a tradition that respects the liberty of faith and beliefs in Nigeria.
Ojukwu, who made this dedication on the public presentation of the survey report on the violation of freedom of faith and beliefs in some chosen states of the nation, sponsored by the King and Allah bin Abdulaziz Worldwide Centre for Interreligious Dialogue, appealed to the conscience of Nigerians, that there is no such thing as a achieve in fanning the embers of discrimination and hatred for any faith.
In response to him, faith is a delicate and sacred matter that must be dealt with with the utmost respect and profound regard. He referred to as on Nigerians to respect the sanctity of one another’s faith no matter their variations, including that the 2 main religions within the nation preach peace, togetherness and love for each other.
Ojukwu, who lamented why the nation has continued to witness avoidable instances of non secular intolerance, which in some instances has led to the killing of harmless residents and the destruction of beneficial properties, additionally lauded that adherents of assorted spiritual our bodies ought to know that Nigeria is a secular state. He additional careworn that Part 10 of the Structure acknowledged that the “authorities of the Federation or a State shall not undertake any faith as State faith “.
“Freedom of faith has lengthy been a big concern globally, and Nigeria’s historical past of non secular tensions, particularly between Christians and Muslims, has led to profound challenges, together with lack of lives, displacements and ongoing nervousness. This spiritual extremism poses a considerable menace to Nigeria’s stability and improvement”, he mentioned.
In his keynote deal with, the director-general of the Nationwide Orientation Company (NOA), Mallam Lanre Isa-Onilu, mentioned that regardless of applicable laws in search of to boost the liberty of worship and apply amongst believers of various spiritual teams within the nation, Nigeria nonetheless witnesses completely different types of conflicts and non secular intolerance.
He lamented that these conflicts, which have led to the destruction of lives and properties in several elements of the nation, have continued to influence negatively on the well-being of residents, residents, and common developments of the nation.
Whereas cautioning that if these conditions are left with out creating deliberate insurance policies and mechanisms for interventions, Nigeria could finish in civil strife that will have an effect on its existence as one nation, the director common additionally pledged to associate stakeholders in entrenching a tradition of respect for freedom of faith and perception that may foster a greater understanding amongst residents.