The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Archbishop Daniel Okoh and the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III have called on the Federal Government to ensure the effective management of the natural resources in the country in order to turn it from being a curse that breed insecurity to blessing.
The duo who are the Co-Chairmen of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) noted that curbing the growing insecurity linked to the exploration of oil, gas, and solid minerals is pertinent to achieving sustainable growth and stability.
This call was made during the Fourth Quarterly Meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) held on Tuesday in Abuja.
The event with the theme ‘Our Natural Resources and Insecurity in Nigeria,’ brought together key figures including the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume.
The Sultan of Sokoto in his address, appealed to Nigerians to keep faith and persevere through the current challenges, emphasizing the importance of moral integrity and self-improvement.
“We understand the challenges everyone is facing. It is not easy, but the Almighty God will bring ease, as hardship is always followed by relief. Let’s continue to persevere and believe that the Almighty, who brought us into this world, will not let us suffer indefinitely.
“It is important to be good, as you cannot pray and act poorly while expecting God to accept your prayers. We must change our habits and rid our minds of negative thoughts. Let’s keep faith in our Creator, praying for Him to correct the wrongs by guiding us to do what is necessary.”
The CAN President Archbishop Okoh on his part, noted that while Nigeria is blessed with natural wealth, mismanagement and greed have turned these resources into sources of conflict.
He highlighted the role of religious leaders in promoting peace, justice, and accountability, and urged the government to prosecute those behind the criminal exploitation of Nigeria’s resources.
The CAN President further called for greater efforts to establish good governance, ensuring that the benefits of natural resources are equitably distributed among all Nigerians.
“These resources have the potentials to serve as a powerful engine for our national development – creating jobs, alleviating poverty, and improving the quality of life for all Nigerians.
“However, the reality we face is starkly different. Instead of being a blessing, our natural resources have, in many instances, become a source of conflict and insecurity.
“As religious leaders, we have a unique and vital role to play in addressing these issues. Our faiths teach us the values of stewardship, sanctity of human life, compassion, and justice.
“We are called to be the voice for the voiceless, to advocate for equitable resource distribution, and to promote peace and reconciliation among our communities.
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“It is imperative that we use our positions to address the level of wickedness that manifests in lack of transparency and accountability, impunity and outright organized theft of our commonwealth by calling for accountability and the strengthening of the justice system in Nigeria to punish all criminal acts”, Archbishop Okoh added.
The SGF, Senator Akume, emphasised the critical need for sustainable management of Nigeria’s resources, warning that the continued depletion of these resources not only threatens the environment but exacerbates insecurity.
He called for stronger institutions, policy reforms, and increased transparency in resource management to curb illegal activities such as bunkering and banditry, particularly in the Niger Delta and northern mining regions.
He stated, “Let us reflect on the critical importance of sustainable management of our natural resources. Nigeria is rich in natural resources, including oil, natural gas and solid minerals.
“The continued depletion of these resources not only threaten our environment but also exacerbate social and economic insecurities.
“I implore us to implement stable policies, structural changes, and effective governance that can help address bunkering in the Niger Delta and reduce banditry in mineral-rich northern states.
“Establishing clear policies for resource management and consistent policies across administrations can streamline efforts to secure resources, establish clear rights and responsibilities, and discourage opportunistic exploitation of minerals.
“Community-focused policies that involve local stakeholders in development plans and profit-sharing can discourage illegal bunkering and banditry by creating vested interests in legal resource management.”
READ MORE FROM: NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
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