You will not escape the consequences of your hate messages, FG warn clerics
- The federal government has issued a stern warning to religious clerics in Nigeria
- The government is not happy about some of the clerics' recent statements
- The government's message was conveyed by its spokesman, Alhaji Lai Mohammed
Nigeria's information minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has warned religious clerics in Nigeria to refrain from inflammatory statements capable of setting the country on fire.
Lai Mohammed warn clerics against making inflammatory statements
Mohammed issued the warning today, January 6 at the federal government's town hall meeting for the North-central region held in Illorin.
The minister said there is no bigger threat to the peace and unity of Nigeria today than religion-coated incendiary messages, which are sent out to the public by some religious, political and opinion leaders.
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He said: ''In recent times, the media has been increasingly awash with incendiary statements that seem designed to pitch the adherents of the two prominent religions in the country, Christians and Muslims against one another.
''Such fallacies like the Islamization of Nigeria, the killing of Christians by Muslims, the labelling of Nigeria as the most dangerous place for Christians in the world can only serve one purpose: trigger a religious war.
''Needless to say that no nation ever survives a religious war. Those who are making these allegations know that they are not true, but they have found in religion another tool to demonize the government of the day, divert attention from the government's anti-corruption stance and create undue tension in the polity.''
Mohammed further condemned reports which claimed Nigeria is the most dangerous place for Christians in the world.
He lamented that those pushing such narratives are doing a disservice to Nigeria and giving the country a bad name in the comity of nations adding that they will not escape the consequences of their hate messages.
He continued: ''The alleged Islamisation of Nigeria under the current administration is totally false and should be perceived in its entirety as a campaign of calumny.
''The secular nature of Nigeria’s Constitution makes the issue of religious dominance and impunity improbable.''
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The minister appealed to the media to desist from providing a platform for exponents of incendiary statements.
He appealed to Christian and Muslim leaders to emulate Catholic Cardinal John Onaiyekan of Abuja and Sultan Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III of Sokoto, saying both leaders represents an energetic and indispensable vehicle for achieving lasting peace among divergent religious groupings in the country.
Meanwhile, Bishop Martins Uzoukwu who is the catholic bishop of Minna Diocese in Niger state has called on Nigerians to pray for the recovery of President Muhammadu Buhari.