President of the Senate, Senator David Mark yesterday took stock of the
lingering Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike and pleaded
with the religious leaders across the country to quickly intervene in
the crisis rocking the nation’s education sector.
Addressing the
2nd plenary Assembly of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria
(CBCN) in Otukpo Benue state yesterday, Senator Mark said the
differences between the Federal Government and ASUU requires spiritual
intervention in order to end the imbroglio.
This is against the
backdrop of the collapse of dialogue between the federal government
negotiating team and ASUU over the latter’s demand.
He lamented
the plight of the students who have been deprived of the stable academic
calender and the consequences of the strike, pointing out that “the
culture of confrontation and conflict does not build harmony between and
among people, therefore, we must always seek the culture of dialogue,
reconciliation and forgiveness. We have a duty to work hard to overcome
all barriers to peace.”
On the issue of insecurity in the
country, the President of the Senate stated that the present state of
insecurity in Nigeria is worrisome considering the high number of
innocent Nigerians that dies everyday as a result of bombing, armed
robbery, road accident, pagan ritual activities and cultism.
He
charged Nigerians not to use religion for negative purposes, “Religion
is to unite and not to divide, to love and not to hate, to gather and
not to scatter, to be just and not to be unjust.”
Senator Mark
also frowned at provocative utterances by some highly placed people that
are capable of tearing down the society saying such utterances must be
curtailed.
He however admonished that the present religious,
economic and political turmoil should not scare anybody saying “as
Nigerians we should remain resolute and focussed. As a people, we should
continue to fast and pray. I acknowledge the fact that prayer without
good work is dead. We should also embark on serious good work at all
levels to ensure good governance and a better Nigeria.”
Senator
Mark was optimistic that Nigerians are capable of overcoming the
challenges only if we work together and see ourselves as one people
binded by a common mission and purpose.
Earlier, the Governor of
Benue State, Gabriel Suswam called for partnership between the church,
government and the people in order to fast track political development
and stability in the country.
Suswam urged the Bishops to use the
session to appeal to ASUU to shift ground as the Federal government has
made reasonable concessions to their demands to give peace a chance and
return students back to schools.
In his welcome address, the
President, Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, Most Rev. Ignatius
Kaigama urged Christians to be loyal to biblical teachings in all their
dealings.
Kaigama called for interior purifications among Nigerians adding
that with renewed commitment to the task of teaching and sanctifying,
Nigeria will over come her travails.
He charged governments at
all levels to channel resources towards the welfare and security of the
citizenry even as he urged the clergy to pray for leaders at all levels.
Signed:
Paul Mumeh, Chief Press Secretary to the President of the Senate
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