The cooperation and collaboration among people of different ethnic groups and faiths in Kuje, a suburb of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), is a model for the rest of the country, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SA).
Osinbajo stated this yesterday when he received a delegation from the Kuje Interfaith Community at the Presidential Villa led by the senior pastor of the Kings Palace Church International, Rev. Sam Ogbodo.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Laolu Akande, he said the vice president received a presentation on the challenges facing the people of the area, especially in health, education, sanitation and infrastructure.
Osinbajo said, “One of the major issues that our country has to face is unity of our people – unity of the ethnic groups and unity of the faiths also, so that we are able to make real progress in the various respects that our country needs to make progress.”
“One of the fault lines that we have is religious divisions and the tensions that are created when religious leaders do not act responsibly enough in bringing together men and women of different faiths.
“I am really excited about what you are doing. The interfaith community in Kuje is not just a model for this zone, but for the country,” he said.
While commending Ogbodo for uniting the people in the area, Osinbajo said “you have identified the social and economic issues that concern the people in Kuje and these people are Christians, Muslims and some who do not even believe in God or who even say there is no God, but they are Nigerian citizens; they have every right to every one of the provisions, services and opportunities that the Nigerian nation offers anyone else.
“And I think it is so heartwarming to note how you have seen that as a primary objective, and how you are doing everything that you can to make sure that we focus on what is important for the people.”
Ogbodo commended the vice president for championing the cause of poor Nigerians, especially in the implementation of government and non-government programmes and policies.
