CAN President calls for national healing

The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Co-Chairman of the Nigeria Interreligious Council (NIREC), Archbishop Daniel Okoh, has called on Nigerians to break free from the chains of mutual suspicion and embrace trust as the foundation for national unity.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the First Tri-Annual Meeting of NIREC for 2025 in Owerri, Imo State, Archbishop Okoh emphasised the urgent need for religious, community, and political leaders to champion mutual trust as a catalyst for peace and development.

While addressing the theme of the meeting, “Building Mutual Trust for National Unity,” Okoh challenged the nation to confront historical wounds and foster reconciliation.

“We must begin to see one another not through the distorted lens of prejudice, but through the dignified lens of shared humanity under one God. Only a healed nation can trust itself. And only a trusting nation can truly prosper,” he said.

The CAN President commended the efforts of the Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma, for hosting the event and for his ongoing commitment to inclusive governance and peace in the South East.

Okoh also expressed appreciation to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Dr George Akume, for his unwavering support for NIREC’s peacebuilding initiatives.

Reflecting on NIREC’s mission since its establishment in 1999, he noted that the council has remained a moral compass, bridging divides between Nigeria’s two major religions and advocating for peaceful coexistence across ethnic and ideological lines.

In a major highlight of the event, Archbishop Okoh announced the inauguration of Interreligious Councils across the five South Eastern states, describing them as “sacred spaces for sincere dialogue, mutual respect, healing, and community building.”

He called on all Nigerians, regardless of faith, ethnicity, or political affiliation, to take ownership of the nation-building process, stating, “Our churches, mosques, traditional institutions, schools, media houses, and families must all become laboratories of trust, tolerance, and truth.”

The NIREC Co-Chair urged leaders and citizens to promote youth engagement, launch humanitarian initiatives, empower grassroots peacebuilders, and commit to non-inflammatory public discourse.

“Let us be the generation that will be remembered for choosing dialogue over division, trust over suspicion, healing over hatred, and unity over discord,” he said.

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