…As Wase condoles with victims of Plateau flood disaster
By Levinus Nwabughiogu
ABUJA-Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila has urged youth in the country to shun religious violence and resist the temptation of killing innocent people in for religious sake.
The speaker who spoke at the National Christian and Muslim Youths Summit in Abuja on Thursday, Gbajabiamila also urged youth not to allow themselves to be used by politicians to cause trouble along religious lines.
He lamented that some people have continued to use religion to cause maybe in the country, adding that “this should not be the case because we are all human beings and were created by God.
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Represented by his Deputy, Hon Ahmed Idris Wase, Gbajabiamila said tolerance should be the watchword of both Christians and Muslims youths.
He said both Islam and Christianity are religions of peace and adherents of both faiths believe in resurrection, judgment and paradise (heaven).
He said: “I believe if we get it right with the youths, we would have solved at least 50 percent of the nation’s problems.
“In a secular state such as ours, religious tolerance should be the watch word. We must appreciate the fact that we are all created by one God and must resist the temptation of engaging in inter religious crisis and continuous killing of innocent people in the name of religion.
“If the youths, who are often engaged by unscrupulous persons to perpetrate violence get to understand and apply what both faith teaches, sponsors of such crimes will not see anyone to enlist for evil.
“In fact, it is good to know and recognise that there are moral values that Christians and Muslim have in common- such as honouring the sanctity of life and the importance of respect in relationships, decent speech and behaviour,” he added.
“I thank the organisers of this summit for convening such a wonderful meeting for youths of the two dominant religions to gather together and brainstorm on how best to promote religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence between the two.
“This is a laudable initiative, which must be commended because if we are able to property educate our youths on the tenets of the faith they profess, some of crises Nigeria is prone to would be solved.
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“I want to assure you that the leadership of the 9th House of Representatives is very much interested in the welfare of our youths and will continue to support the youth by making laws that could help create job opportunities so that our youths will be meaningfully engaged.”
In a related development, the Deputy Speaker also commiserated with government and people of Plateau state over fire and flood disaster in Quanpan and Shendam local government areas of the state.
In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Umar Muhammad Puma, Wase called on relevant agencies of government to play their roles to ensure that avoidable loss of precious lives and properties does not repeat itself both in the affected communities and other part of the country.
He called on Nigerians in flood- prone areas to heed the warnings of Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) so as to prevent loss of lives and properties.
Ease however acknowledged the efforts of the federal government, the state government, the emergency management agencies and other sprinted individuals at curtailing the disaster.
Vanguard