Onaiyekan, Sultan Warn Religious Leaders against Unguarded Utterances

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Paul Obi in Abuja

The Catholic Archbishop of Abuja Metropolitan See, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, and the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, on Thursday called on religious leaders in Africa, and Nigeria especially, to be mindful of their utterances to their followers, as development cannot be attained in an atmosphere of conflicts.

The Sultan also called on Muslims and Christians who constitute about 90 per cent of Nigeria’s population to constructively engage those in authority to be just and fair to all Nigerians no matter their faith and religion.

He was represented by the Wazirin Katsina, Alhaji Sani Lugga, at a 2-day African Union Interfaith Forum, with the theme “Leap of Faith: religious leaders advance justice, peace, security, inclusiveness, dialogue and development in Africa.”

He stated: “Religious leaders in the continent have prominent roles to play in achieving the needed peace.”