The Secretary General of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory, Elder Sunday Oibe, has lamented that despite 62 years of nationhood, Nigeria is sharply divided along religion and ethnic lines.
He also decried the endemic corruption among the ruling elites which has impoverished Nigerians and made life difficult amid abundant resources. Commenting on the 62nd Independence anniversary of Nigeria in an interview on Saturday in Kaduna, Oibe call on Nigerians to “unite and kill the monster call religion and ethnicity which has continued to play a key role in the selection of leaders and made it impossible to have competent people in leadership position.”
“Despite 62 years of nationhood, Nigeria is deeply divided along religious and ethnic lines and this had made it difficult for us to have good leaders”.
He said, “Endemic corruption has continued to impede our progress as people in power continued to enriched themselves while Nigerians get poorer and poorer.”
According to him, “If we remove religion and ethnicity, we will have good leaders that will provide good governance.
“But as long as we continue to allow the elite and the ruling class to use religion and ethnicity for their selfish political interests, we will not move forward.”
Oibe said, “Religion is supposed to be a personal matter, but in Nigeria the political elite use it to advance their selfish interests.”
He said, “America, UK and other developed nations where our leaders always run to, don’t on the basis of religion and ethnicity.
“These countries are dominating the world economy, not because they are religious people but because they have good leaders and systems that work well.”
He said politics and governance is a serious business of development aimed at improving the living conditions of the people, “but in Nigeria politicians use religion and ethnicity to get to power because they have made it an issue among gullible Nigerians.”
