Ondo State governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, has appealed to the Bishops of Catholic Church of Nigeria to join in the call for the restructuring of Nigeria, even as the President, Catholic Bishops Conference, declared that Mimiko has provided good leadership in Ondo.
Governor Mimiko, in his remarks at the 2nd plenary session of the opening mass of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) 2016, held on Sunday, at the Scared Heart Cathedral Church, Akure, said government had a responsibility to curtail religious bigot and urged religious leaders to continue to pray for the nation.
He said “the problem of corruption can be addressed with the right policy in place,” but that inter religious conflicts may lead the country into more danger that might be difficult to overcome.
He said “government has responsibility of bringing these bigots to book. We are not comfortable with what the bigots are doing. What they are doing is most worrisome in Nigeria. Church has major role to play by praying for Nigeria.”
Dr Mimiko, who charged churches to always stand up when they see abuse of the secularity in Nigeria, submitted that “we must stand to resist the few bigots who want to destroy Nigeria,” noting that deepening inequality in the society also fuel radicalism.
In his speech, the President of Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigerian, the Most Rev Ignatius Kaigama, commended the cooperation between the church and the government of Ondo State, stressing the Mimiko-led administration had brought smile to the faces of the people through the provision of good roads, infrastructural development, quality healthcare and urban renewal among others.
He, however, said that a lot should be done by the Federal Government to alleviate the current economic hardship on the masses and that the country should not be ruled with sentiment.
Dignitaries in attendance included members of the Ondo State Executive Council, Catholic Archbishops and Bishops in Nigeria and the Deji of Akure land, Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi.