The Wife of the Nasarawa State Governor, Mrs Mairo Al-Makura, has urged parents and guardians to inculcate in their children and wards love and tolerance.
Al-Makura gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sideline of International Conference on Love and Tolerance held on Wednesday in Abuja.
She said that children should learn to love and tolerate their fellow compatriots in the interest of peace, mutual respect, especially between the Muslims and Christians in the country.
According to her, parents must endeavour to teach their children the significance of mutual love and tolerance in promoting religious harmony in their immediate environment and the country at large.
“We as parents need to inculcate the values of tolerance, love in our kids.
“If we start from there I think it will go a long way to bringing back peace, love and tolerance between Muslims and Christian in the country, Al-Makura said.
The wife of the governor also advised religious leaders to always tell their followers the very truth contained in the religious scriptures, stressing that scriptural truth would help in enhancing inter-religious harmony in the country.
She said that both Islam and Christianity preach peace, love and brotherhood, adding that there can never be meaningful development without peace.
Similarly, she stressed the need for both Muslims and Christians to love one another in order to make peace reign supreme in the society.
“I can vividly recall when I was young during Christmas we don’t cook food in our house because our neighbours who are Christians will bring food for us.
“Likewise during Sallah celebration our Christian neighbours do not cook because we will give food to them, but sadly the story is no longer the same,” she said.
Mrs Al-Makura said since her husband became governor in 2011, she has been working assiduously to promote inter-cultural and religious harmony among all ethnic groups in the state.
“We are working round the clock to enhance peace, unity and harmony in our dear state,” she said.