Christian Unity More Paramount Now Than Ever, Says Dogara

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, has urged Christian leaders in the country to work towards peace and unity among their ranks.

He said the key aim of evangelisation was achieving unity of the body Christ.
Speaking during a special anniversary lecture organised by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to mark its 45 years in existence, Dogara said that the church should also spearhead the cause of transformation, spiritual and political regeneration.

“How do we bring peace and transformation to bear on the nation and to ensure that the right things are done should be one of the key focuses of the Christian leaders?”, he said.
On his part, CAN president, Rev. Samson Olasupo Ayokunle, said that Nigeria needed both spiritual and political regeneration to move the country forward.

He said: “What we need today is all encompassing regeneration beginning from the regeneration of the heart where every good and evil comes from to embrace God, godliness, accountability and everything that has to do with virtue. Our value system has changed. It is not about the physical …but the service to humanity.

“There is a need for political regeneration in this nation in terms of the regeneration of leaders. Recycling those that have failed because they have the money and the ethnic advantage to rig elections should no longer be emphasised if we must go forward.”
Ayokunle cautioned that from the way the country was moving, drastic steps had to be taken to avoid derailment.

He also spoke of the need to reform the electoral process and to restructure the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to help stop rigging.
According to him, there was a need for regeneration and participation by the church in the process of elections.

“If we do not change our attitude, our acts and change the system, the way we are taking things we will just be cut away we won’t get anything.

“So there is a need for political regeneration so that good leaders can be brought up and those who loot the treasury will not get the advantage again.

“The electoral process has to change, INEC is not independent and unless we change the electoral process we will not be able to get the best.
“There is a need for regeneration of participation by the church in the process of elections. How many are card carrying members of political parties across all levels?”