The Senior Pastor of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Dr Paul Enenche, says Nigerians should embrace unity and speak with one voice in order to foster strength and national progress.
Enenche said this at the second Solemn Assembly of the Northern Christian Stakeholders, organised by the Stefanos Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), on Friday in Abuja.
He said that collective strength, peace, stability and unity were indispensable for overcoming the nation’s challenges.
He quoted Ecclesiastes Chapter 4 Verse 9, as saying: “two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labour,” adding that people achieved greater results when they work together.
According to him, unity multiplies strength and enhances the ability of individuals and communities to confront difficulties.
“We want to see that we have one voice, not discordant voices. One voice on the situation in the land, one voice on the challenges confronting the nation, and one voice in trusting God for solutions.
“The force of unity can overcome even the forces of death. Who surrounds us determines what we can survive,” he said.
He urged Nigerians to reject isolation and build stronger bonds of support and cooperation, saying such relationships would strengthen society against adversity.
In his remarks, the Keynote Speaker, Prof. Yususu Turaki, called for the promotion of shared human values and responsible reporting to strengthen unity and peaceful coexistence in Nigeria.
Turaki said that Nigeria’s diverse religious and ethnic communities had coexisted peacefully at different periods of the country’s history and urged citizens to build on that legacy.
Turaki said Nigerians, regardless of religious or ethnic background, shared common beliefs in human dignity and could develop a common set of national values to guide their conduct and interactions.
He said that a shared ethical framework rooted in humanity and national interest would help strengthen social cohesion and encourage responsible attitudes and behaviour across communities.
He urged Nigerians to embrace dialogue, mutual respect and collective responsibility in addressing the country’s social and security challenges.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Stephanos Foundation, Mr Mark Lipdo, called for greater collaboration among christian, traditional and community leaders to address Nigeria’s security challenges and support victims of violence.
Lipdo said that the foundation had spent the past 25 years providing relief materials, trauma counselling, shelter, educational support and medical assistance to victims affected by violent attacks in parts of the country.
According to him, the organisation has also documented incidents of violence and shared its findings with Nigerian authorities and international partners as part of its advocacy for improved security and protection of vulnerable communities.
He recalled that the previous meeting of northern christian stakeholders resolved that closer cooperation among traditional rulers, religious leaders and other stakeholders was essential to promoting peace and addressing insecurity.
The Christian Traditional Rulers Forum, which recently appointed the Paramount Ruler of the Tiv nation, Prof. James Ayatse as chairman, pledged to promote unity, peaceful coexistence.
Ayatse assured of collaboration with religious, traditional and community stakeholders to address security and humanitarian challenges in Nigeria.
He said that unity remained the foundation for achieving the forum’s objectives, describing cooperation among traditional institutions, christian leaders and ethnic nationalities as essential to addressing national challenges.
He said that the forum accepted the responsibility of leadership with humility and pledged to discharge its mandate in the interest of the nation and the well-being of vulnerable communities.
“The forum will work with traditional rulers, Christian leaders, moderate religious groups and other stakeholders to promote peaceful coexistence, protect vulnerable communities and encourage humanitarian support for victims of insecurity.
“The forum will prioritise advocacy, dialogue and partnerships aimed at promoting justice, protecting vulnerable citizens and fostering national cohesion,” he said.
He urged members to remain committed to the ideals of unity, mutual support and peaceful engagement, expressing confidence that the forum will make meaningful contributions to peace-building and national development.
The stakeholders’ meeting brought together christian clerics, traditional rulers and community leaders to deliberate on peace-building, humanitarian support and strategies for strengthening cooperation in affected communities.
