By Ade Jacobs
The Federal Government has warned religious leaders in the country to refrain from making inciting comments capable of leading to a forceful regime change.
The Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, stated this on Saturday in Lagos, in a statement made available to journalists.
He also urged religious leaders to stop making comments capable of setting the country on fire.
His outburst is considered to be a response to recent comments made by Bishop Francis Kukah, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, who accused President Muhammadu Buhari of favouring northerners with juicy government appointments.
Mohammed said, ”While religious leaders have a responsibility to speak truth to power, such truth must not come wrapped in anger, hatred, disunity and religious disharmony.”
He said it is particularly graceless and impious for any religious leader to use the period of Christmas, which is a season of peace, to stoke the embers of hatred, sectarian strife and national disunity.
According to the minister, ”Calling for a violent overthrow of a democratically-elected government, no matter how disguised such a call is, and casting a particular religion as violent is not what any religious leader should engage in, and certainly not in a season of peace.”
He warned against any violent change of government, adding that instigating regime change outside the ballot box is not only unconstitutional but also an open call to anarchy.
He said while some religious leaders, being human, may not be able to disguise their national leadership preference, they should refrain from stigmatizing the leader they have never supported anyway, using well-worn and disproved allegations of nepotism or whatever.
The Minister said whatever challenges Nigeria may be going through at this moment can only be tackled when all leaders and, indeed, all Nigerians, come together, not when some people arrogantly engage in name-calling and finger-pointing.