Make public welfare a priority, Onaiyekan tells politicians

 Nigerian political leaders have been tasked to emulate Jesus Christ as well as, place the well-being of citizens and survival of the people of Nigeria above their self-interest.

Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, His Eminence John Cardinal Onaiyekan,  made the appeal on Sunday when he featured in a special Easter programme organised by Lux Terra Leadership Foundation Abuja.

Speaking on the topic: ‘The Meaning of Easter and Implications for Christians’, the Vanguard reports said that, the Cardinal Onaiyekan accused some political leaders of caring less about the killings in their states so long as their personal ambitions to remain in power are not threatened.

“We expect leaders to prepare to pay the price of leading their people. Leadership should come with a cost. “To put it bluntly, we are seeing too many leaders sitting around believing that it is better for the whole nation to perish than for them to leave office, ” he said

On the area of persecution of Christians in Nigeria by those in power as alleged by some Church leaders within and outside the country, Onaiyekan urged believers to focus on their faith rather than worry over any Islamisation agenda as peddled in some circles.

He said, “Jesus said love your enemies. If you became a Christian and it didn’t challenge you in any new way. Then, probably, you’ve not seen it yet. It has to challenge you. “Christians in Europe hear stories of our challenges with Islam and keep wanting to find out how we are coping.

 According to him ‘We hear the Muslims are persecuting you’. I tell them to leave me alone. “First of all, I am not complaining. After all, Even if we are being persecuted, are we forgetting that persecution is in the DNA of the Christian faith? Did we forget how Christianity started as a group that is not even supposed to survive? It was pummeled with persecution for 300 years. Which means, rather than worry over persecutions, Christians should focus on their faith,” Onaiyekan advised

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