ABUJA—The President of Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, yesterday, appealed to Nigerians to let the denials and sacrifices experienced by Muslim faithful in the month of Ramadan serve as the fulcrum of unity and peace in the country, irrespective of religious belief, language or tribe.
The CAN President while celebrating with Muslims across the country over the successful completion of the month-long Ramadan fast, however, expressed his condolence to the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, over the death of its three union officials in a motor accident.
In a statement by CAN Spokesman, Mr. Kenny Ashaka, Oritsejafor stated that the entire Christian community rejoiced with their Muslim brothers and sisters on the occasion of Eid-el-Fitri.
The CAN President urged Nigerians irrespective of religious belief to let the fear of God be the basis of their thought and always strive to promote peaceful coexistence in their vicinity.
He said: “The lessons of Ramadan should not be lost on our Muslim brothers and sisters even as the Holy month has just ended.
“The injunctions of kindness and fear of God should rule our lives not only during fasting period but at all times and circumstances.”
Meanwhile, Oritsejafor also expressed deep sympathy to the Nigerian media community and the nation over the death, in an auto crash, of three officials of the NUJ.
While he bemoaned the increasing spate of accidents across the country, he prayed for the repose of the dead.
The accident, which claimed the lives of NUJ National Financial Secretary, Mr. Adolphus Okonkwo, Mrs Kafayat Odunsi of NTA Victoria Island, Lagos and Mr Tunde Oluwanike of FRCN Ibadan, also left 10 other union officials, including Mr Deji Elumoye, Chairman of Lagos State council, with various degrees of injuries.
Oritsejafor urged the union and its members to remain steadfast in their drive to uphold the tenets of journalism and prayed that God would stand by the family members and their loved ones left behind by the late union leaders.
“We share in the sense of loss of the union and the family members of our departed brothers and sister and would continue to beseech God to give the bereaved the fortitude to bear the loss,” the CAN President said.
He also extended the goodwill of the Christian community to the injured union officials as they go through their recovery period.
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