Bishop Matthew Kukah of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto and other religious leaders on Sunday expressed concerns over the polarisation of the nation along primordial lines such as religion and ethnicity.

The religious leaders spoke differently as guests at the Society of African Mission’s (SMA) 166th anniversary of thanksgiving in Lagos.

They said such divisions had continued to serve as the clogs in the wheel of the nation’s quest for development and progress.

Speaking at the event, Mr Kukah said identifying one as a Yoruba man, an Igbo man or a Kanuri person instead of a Nigerian was one of the unhealthy attitudes of the nation’s life that had kept it below in the comity of nations.

Mr Kukah, who described the nation’s diversity as an asset, charged Nigerians to promote things that could heal existing social disharmony in order not to pass such to the younger generation.

He said the promotion of the country’s diversity, if well harnessed, can turn the people’s fortunes into things that will benefit everyone.

“I still don’t understand how our religion has been turned into a weapon of social upheavals in our country without such happening in our neighbouring countries.

“As a people, we should reject the antics of politicians trying to use our faiths to keep us disunited for their selfish ends.

“There is nothing wrong with our religion, but what is wrong is our relationship with people of other faiths.

“Our people should learn to resist those politicians with the evil agenda by peaceful protest in order to change them from the old order for a better Nigerian society,” he said.

Similarly, the chief imam of Mende Central Mosque, Maryland Lagos, Habeeblan Awofeso, said Nigerians should learn to live in peace with one another in any part of the country they find themselves.

The cleric, who said he was a product of the Catholic missionary school, said that by landmass, there were no parts of the country designated by nature as a Yoruba land or Igbo lad, but people having dominant residency in an area.

Also, Anthony Awe of the Orthodox Anglican Church said that the church had remained steadfast in its teachings and appealed to state leaders to emulate the church for a better society.  

(NAN)