The Director Kukah Centre, Reverend Fr. Atta Barkindo has called on churches to regenerate missionary spirit, promote dialogue, education and actively participate in politics to promote democracy, peace and development in Nigeria.
Barkindo made the call while presenting a paper at the third theology week of Good Shepherd Seminary in Kaduna.
The theme of the paper was ‘Nationalism, Patriotism and National Unity: Hallmarks for Peace and Development in Nigeria’.
Barkindo, who doubles as the Head of Secretariat, National Peace Committee (NPC), said that achieving peace and development in Nigeria is much more than trying to promote nationalism, patriotism, and national unity.
He lamented how Nigeria has experienced all forms of violent and conflict before and after its independence in 1960.
According to him, *these conflicts has destroyed the foundation of nationhood and also deepened the culture of impunity and complete lack of accountability.”
The Director advised that to drive peace and development, Nigeria needed to first enthrone the rule of law, accountability, end the culture of impunity, promote common citizenship, and manage diversity.
“To achieve this, the Church and its
theologians have a role to play,” he stressed.
Barkindo said that the Church must return to being the church for the poor and the underprivileged.
He said that missionaries must read, understand and appreciate the context of societies they serve, the historical, cultural and linguistic situation of the people, while serving them from within and supporting them in their struggles.
On education, he said “the Church must return to taking education seriously of the communities they serve, not only western forms but critical education that respects family and community values and protecting the dignity of the human person.”
Also presenting a paper, Magaji Ibrahim, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), said Nigeria since independence is still confused with many of issues internal and external to governance and leadership.
Ibrahim lamented that the issues faced by Nigeria were swept under the carpet, mentioning a few notable ones to be ethnicity, minority complaints, violence, and growing corruption.
He said; “Sense of justice and fairness have also been thrown to the wind as a result of non-patriotic and unnationalistic abnormality. Yet we laugh and hug in public and plot against each other when we retire to our ethno-religious enclaves.”
Ibrahim therefore noted that for Nigerians not to let the labour of its heroes go in vain, everyone must embrace the spirit of nationalism and patriotism to ensure national unity among the various ethnic groups, cultures and religious differences.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
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