Catholic bishop urges FG to separate religion from politics

Speaking at the launch of a book, "Religion and the Making of Nigeria" by Prof. Ayo Vaughan in Abuja, he urged the government to separate religion from politics and economics.

In his words, "As a Nigerian and a citizen, I have always been an incurable optimist. But I have never been as unsure about the future of this country as I am now. People say they are killing for religion, but intentions are not enough. As it is, we may never be able to prosecute anybody because we have not been able to separate criminality from religion.

In Nigeria, we have a feeling that somehow, people can genuinely kill in the name of religion. I think that unless Nigeria as a country is prepared to make laws and ensure that all citizens live by same and be answerable by the same law, what we are witnessing is a symptom, not the disease. The creeping inequalities, the inability of this system to deliver has made us uncomfortable. The point, therefore, is not for us to keep praying.

Should religion lead to the un-making of Nigeria? The answer is ‘No’. But the government of Nigeria should separate religion from politics and economics and let everybody make his claims.”

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According to This Day, the Catholic bishop also made reference to the constant religious killings in the North.

"Unless we get round to defining what constitutes religion and in this particular case, the way and manner in which the northern ruling class continues to use religion as a cover to perpetuate and subjugate the people, the problem will persist.

The dangerous crimes that have been associated with religion in any part of the north have never been a result of theological differences or disputation. It has always been about economic.

In Zango Kataf, it was the siting of a market, while in Bauchi, it was about someone being accused of using pork as suya. None of the conflicts started in the church or mosque. They are largely about economic opportunities," he stated.

Similar sentiments were echoed by Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, who was also present at the book launch.

Just like the bishop, he complained about the inability to prosecute people that kill in the name of religion.

"Very few people have been prosecuted for religious violence but none has ever been brought to conclusion; why are such cases never concluded? Too many cases of high profile murders that are not concluded in this country,” the vice president said.

He also said, "The manipulation of religion by the elites has led to the problem that we are facing. Nigerian elite will use religion when it is convenient and at other times they may use ethnicity or some other form of identification.

It is that frequent use of religion for manipulative tendencies that has led to our predicament. And this is because we always discuss the issues after conflicts where lives are lost and it thus make such discussions emotive.

Identification leads to advancement and so the elites report to religious and ethnic manipulation.”

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They were supported by Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka, who said, “If we do not tame religion in Nigeria, religion will kill us. Many Nigerians have paid the ultimate price because of religion and religion is now embedded in our society.

There is a monster always waiting to pounce on innocent Nigerians under the name of religion."

ALSO READ: Wole Soyinka blames killings of Christians on Northern religious leaders

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