By Donald Iorchir Abuja
Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, has called on Christians to rise up and Christianise Nigeria instead of complaining that Muslims want to Islamise the nation. Onaiyekan, a cardinal, made the call in his homily at a Mass to celebrate the Sacrament of Confi rmation at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, Gwarinpa II, yesterday, in Abuja. He said: “So, let nobody deceive you, I don’t think there is anybody who has plan to Islamise Nigeria, but even if they do, they have every right to do so.
“Th ey have every right to do so provided they also know that I have the right to Christianise the whole of Nigeria. Th e answer is not in complaining and crying; stand up like a man and Christianise Nigeria,’’ the cardinal said. He said Christians had the mandate to preach Jesus Christ to everyone without being distracted with material things. Onaiyekan urged Christians to defend their faith by preaching the gospel in words and deeds without compromising the message of the Cross. He said the Disciples of Christ preached the crucifi ed Christ, accepted persecution and that many even died for their faith.
“People complain that Christianity is being persecuted; they are saying that some people want to Islamise the nation; just know that nobody can’t Islamise you unless you agree to be Islamised. “For as long as you are not ready to stand up and carry the Cross, you are on the verge of losing your faith; if you don’t want to lose your promotion for Christ sake, you are also not worthy to be a Christian. “Anybody who presents another programme diff erent from the programme of Jesus Christ on the Cross will lose, you will drop; you will just drop like an overripe apple.” According to him, Christians cannot achieve the feat by compromising their faith; it can only be achieved by carrying their cross and following Christ.
“You don’t Christianise the nation by standing up and looking for prosperity or material benefi ts. “You Christianise a nation, if you are ready to stand up for the truth, preach the gospel, carry the Cross and follow the Lord Jesus.’’ Quoting from the Gospel of Mathew Chapter 10 verses 37 to 42, Onaiyekan said anyone who loved his or her mother, By Bayo Alabira Dutse All Progressives Congress (APC) has swept all the 27 local government councils’ seats in Jigawa state at the weekend. Announcing the result at the headquarters of Jigawa state Independent Electoral Commission (JISIEC), the chairman, Alhaji Muhammed Sani Ahmed, said the entire process was peaceful, free and fair.
According to him that APC also won the entire 287 chancellorship seats during Saturday’s election where 12 political parties participated including the PDP and APC as major contenders. Our correspondent reports that the election was, however, marred by low turnout of voters following the in-house tussle between the Makarfi faction and that of Ali Modu Sheriff in court. It would be recalled that the state Independent Electoral Commission (JISIEC) was ordered not to conduct the election without the Makarfi faction, but the court order was not respected by the electoral body. Th e winners will be sworn in today following their victory.
National Chairman, Green Party of Nigeria (GPN), Chief Sam Eke, Founder, Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), Dr Frederick Fasehun and former old Sokoto state Deputy Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Muhammed Gusau, during the GPN’s 1Oth National Convention, in Abuja at the weekend Photo: Tidzalla Zacchaeus father, children, husband more than Christ is not worthy of His kingdom. He, however, said the message of Cross is that of salvation, which was gradually being reduced to the message of prosperity, adding that it was natural to face suff ering in the world. Th e cardinal said Christianity had survived over 2,000 years and the religion became more established even when the apostles faced persecution and were even killed
