21st April, 2023
By Kingsley Okoye
Senator Orji-Uzor Kalu, the Chief Whip of the Senate, has urged the incoming governments at all levels to partner with the Church in accelerating the reconciliation of Nigerians.
Kalu made the call in Abuja on Friday at a mass to mark his 63rd birthday anniversary.
According to him, there was an urgent need for the incoming administration to drive the needed peace and reconciliation in the country for the unity of Nigeria and Nigerians.
He said he would be fully committed to helping drive the reconciliation among Nigerians, the Church and the government.
Kalu said there was so much hatred amongst Nigerians, noting that government must partner fully with the Church to further drive good governance in the country.
“I am going full out to reconcile the church and the government, and this is major, the government can not do it alone, the Church needs the government and the government needs the Church.
“So it is a partnership that can work and work very well, so I am going to be in front, driving it to make sure there is a true reconciliation between Nigerians, the church and the government.
“I tolerate all races in Nigeria and I want Nigerians to tolerate everyone and not discriminate, ” Kalu said.
He said he would use his contacts, as a recognised global businessman, to support the incoming government, adding that the Church needs to work with the government.
“We need to tackle the challenges in the economy as soon as possible.
“No election is perfect, there is a need for the reconciliation of our faith, and our people; there is so much hatred in the land everywhere you go amongst Nigerians.
“People should continue to make peace, let Nigeria not be like Sudan, I call on my fellow politicians to continue to work for the unity of our country.”
“Nigeria has moved forward, and we will make effort to reconcile ourselves and the Nigerian people because Nigerian people have a very bad impression of the party I belong to.
In his homily, Archbishop of Abuja Ignatius Kaigama prayed for peace and reconciliation in the country.
He said God had helped the celebrator in his 63 years of existence to overcome his challenges, saying that the celebrator had every reason to give God thanks.
“So we hope that he will drive the process of making Nigeria a better place; we are eager, we are thirsty, we are hungry for a better Nigeria and I think he is one person that can do that through his enormous contributions in the Senate.
“So whatever roles he plays in the Senate, let him play it well and maximally so that we can have that desired change for a better Nigeria.
Participants at the mass were the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyema, Chris Ngige of the Labour Ministry and of the Ministry of Niger-Delta Affairs, Umana-Umana.
Others were lawmakers from both chambers of the National Assembly, captains of industries, top government functionaries and diplomats.
NAN