The President of Christian Association of Nigeria, Daniel Okoh, has said Christian leaders have the responsibility to ensure that their speeches unite the country rather than divide it.
Okoh spoke during a dinner held in his honour in Lagos on Tuesday.
He said, “Christian leaders should try as much in their speech and sermons, to say things that will rather bring us together in other to build a very strong country. My responsibility as well as other leaders is not to say things that will divide us, I will not do that. I should act with a sense of responsibility.
“When people speak and bring out words of hate, they mislead younger generations. And they breed culture of hate and violence.
“Now that we know that we have hated one another in the past, this is the time of healing. And if we say we are children of God, we must be able to take leadership through that process of healing. I’m not saying that we should give up our faith, but for you to be able to lead, you must also understand the tenets of your faith and your belief, and be able to engage or negotiate from the point of strength, not allowing anything to move you around.”
He also charged political candidates seeking to lead the country to convince Nigerians on how they would provide the basic needs of the masses.
“Anyone vying for political position must be able to convince Nigerians that he would ensure that we have the basic needs. Nigerians are very hardworking people. Nigerians should be able to work hard and find food for themselves. What we asking for is that everyone should be able to confidently move around without any fear of losing their lives,” he added.