By Kenneth Onuoha
The Brotherhood of the Cross and Star (BCS) has called on Nigerians to drop the quest and high taste for materialism to achieve enduring and lasting peace.
The Spokesman of BCS, Elder Edet Archibong, made the call in Enugu on Sunday, March 7, during a conference to mark the end of the week-long activities of the Association of Brotherhood Academic Scholars (ABAS) Peace March (Enugu 2021).
The theme of the conference was “Rethinking the Approaches to Global Peace.’’
Archibong, who is a patriarch in BSC, said that unbridled quest for material things and gains had made many Nigerians impatient and they have resorted to taking the “short-cut, destructive and violent part of life.’’
“The high insecurity, injustice, marginalisation and man inhumanity to man we see or pass through today in our country is due to impatience.
“Some of us are so impatient and so greedy that we do not take notice or have feeling to what is happening to others within our neighbourhoods, communities, states and even country.
“However, today, God Almighty is calling on us to make a reverse; take it easy and be our brothers’ keeper in words and action; so that all things that promote violence and strife can be stopped.
“Then, life will be peaceful and quiet for all. Since peace benefit all the same time but greed and quest for materialism only benefit a handful of persons,’’ he said.
A Muslim scholar, Ustaz Mansur Nayashi, who spoke on the theme of the conference, said that fake news and media promoting negative news were the two major ways people with violent intention escalate security challenges.
Nayashi urged Nigerians to probe any news or story they receive before re-broadcasting it as well as do all to drop information that do not promote peace they receive from any platform.
“We must be ambassadors of peace anywhere we find ourselves and should guide against politicians dividing us in anywhere by first understanding we are one humanity under God, who does not differentiate Christians from Moslems.
“As a people, we must emphasise more on things that unite and bring us together as humanity under God Almighty.
“We must be tolerant and be patient with one another irrespective of our artificial difference created by us humans and not God Almighty,’’ he said.
On his part, Archbishop David Irefin called on Nigerians to forgive, especially when the offender had shown remorse for his wrong doing; adding that forgiveness and true reconciliation also brings peace.
Irefin, who is also a Professor of Economics at the Kogi State University, Lokoja, also urged Nigerians to follow peace with all men as exemplified by our Lord Jesus Christ.
Other activities that took place in the week-long International ABAS Peace March include visitation, evangelism, press briefing, praying and fasting session, indoor sports competition and variety evening, international peace march, special performance, Holy Father address and award ceremony.