As Christians mark this year’s Easter celebration, the Southern Kaduna Baptist Conference says Nigeria needs healing and that can only come from true national repentance.

Reverend Donald Arak, president of the conference, made the call on Saturday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kafanchan.

“As we reflect on this Easter season, I want to draw our attention to the need for national repentance.

“Our land Nigeria needs healing and the only remedy is for everyone to return to God and seek His intervention in our situation.

“Our leaders, political, religious, and traditional and indeed the followers need to turn to God for national repentance because we have all failed God,” he said

Mr Arak decried the wanton destruction of lives and property across the country, noting that Nigerians now live in suspicion of one another.

“We are wounded people. We are hurt and pained. We have become enemies to ourselves and have destroyed the foundation of our unity.

“We no longer have dignity and respect for human life. We are now just living in suspicion of one another and this is very sad,” Mr Arak added.

He said for genuine peace and reconciliation to take place in the country, there was the need for Nigerians to return to God and do His will.

“The word of God says, if my people who are called by name will humble themselves and turn back to me and leave their evil ways, I will answer them and heal their land.

“And the best time to return to God is this Easter season. Let us not allow this Easter to just be a period of holidaying. Let it be a time of repentance and a time of reconciliation.

“May this Easter season draw us to the cross for national repentance and may we begin to love one another and live in peace,” he said.

According to him, Easter is an opportunity to show love, renew faith and hope, and not to despair, in spite of the harsh economic realities in the country.

He enjoined the Christian community to imbibe the teachings of Jesus Christ and put them into practice.

“In His lifetime, Jesus Christ preached peace, honesty, love for one another and above all, the fear of God.

“May we continue to look up to God and make sacrifices for one another to live in peace and unity,” he added.

(NAN)