Okey Sampson, Umuahia
A Bishop of the Methodist Church, Dr Sunday Ndukwe Onuoha, has urged the Muslim faithful to leverage on the blessings gained during the Eid al-Fitr celebrations and pray for an end to the coronavirus pandemic.
Bishop Onuoha, who stated this in Umuahia while hosting the local Muslim community, charged them to always sue for peace in the country, shun disunity and extend the bond of brotherhood between them and people of other faiths, adding that through this, religious tolerance will grow in the country.
Bishop Onuoha, the President, Vision Africa International and the Executive Director Nigeria Interfaith Action Association (NIFAA), harped on the need for peace to reign in the country and the world at large, reiterating that it has become imperative that the Muslim faithful and people of other faiths live together without squabbles.
He maintained that this period should serve as a reconciliatory opportunity for people of different religions.
The Chief Imam of Abia state, Alhaji Ali Ukaiwo, lauded Bishop Onuoha for his efforts in bringing together people with diverse faiths, calling him kind of man Nigeria needed at this point in its history.
‘What the Bishop is doing is to bring the various religious groups together for the betterment of mankind. Imams and other clerics should emulate him as Allah in the Koran urges us to be righteous and avoid divisions,’ the Iman said.
Other clerics who spoke at the even thanked Bishop Onuoha for his efforts in bringing religious groups from different faith together and, by so doing, ensuring peaceful coexistence of the different groups in the country.