Senate President David Mark has called for national reconciliation, tolerance and forgiveness among Nigerians as panacea to the intractable security threat and occasional ethno-religious conflicts in the country.
Mark, who made the call on Saturday in Abuja in his Easter message to Christians, also called for sober reflection to find a common ground for peace and mutual co-existence among Nigerians.
In the message, issued by Mr Paul Mumeh, his Chief Press Secretary, the Senate President charged religious leaders to champion the course of peace, unity and love.
“This season calls for deep sober reflection. We should reflect and emulate the virtues of Jesus Christ which symbolises sacrifice, tolerance, peace, love and forgiveness.
“We have more to benefit from each other if we live in peace and harmony than otherwise,’’ he said.
Mark also urged religious leaders to be honest and avoid unguarded utterances or actions capable of inflaming emotions or suggesting a situation of being insensitive to one another.
He assured that the Senate and the National Assembly would continue to ensure peace and unity through effective representation and enactment of appropriate legislation to promote order and good governance in the country.
“We will continue to be guided by justice, fairness, rule of law and patriotism in the discharge of our duties,’’ he said.
He expressed optimism that with cooperation and mutual respect, Nigeria would come out of the woods and regain its place as the giant of Africa.
In his message, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu enjoined Nigerians to address the nation’s integration deficits and emulate Christ’s sense of sacrifice in order to move the country forward.
He said that humility, forgiveness and sacrifice were what motivated Christ to dwell among men and died in order to reconcile man unto God.
In the message issued by Mr Uche Anichukwu, his Special Adviser on Media, Ekweremadu appealed to Nigerians to put an end to all that divided them as prerequisite for building a prosperous nation.
“It is very sad and a collective indictment that ninety-eight years after the historic amalgamation and over fifty-one years after our hard-won independence, Nigeria is still torn apart by ethno-religious and sectional interests,’’ he said.
Ekweremadu urged Nigerians to seize the opportunity of the commemoration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ to launch a new chapter in the nation’s life.
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