Distrust, bane of religious tolerance – Akpabio

Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State has identified distrust among religious leaders in the country as the bane of intolerance among their adherents, and charged them to be sincere in doing what they preach.
Akpabio, who said this on Tuesday when the National Chairman of Nigeria Inter-religious Council and Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Mohammed Sa’ad Abubakar, and the Vice Chairman of the council and Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, paid him a courtesy visit at Governor’s Office, Uyo, said some religious leaders preach one thing and do the reverse.
He said: ”I am trying to mention that as leaders when we speak, we should practise it.
“We shouldn’t have double lips.
“In public, you preach tolerance, but in private you encourage divisiveness.
“When you practice peace, your followers would follow suit.
“I pray God, whom we worship, will give us the grace to practice what we preach.
”In Nigeria, we should discourage politics of the tortoise, which is not the best thing for Nigeria.
“That has been the bane of Nigeria politics.
“Where leaders promise heaven and earth during election and at the end, they don’t deliver any of their promises.
“When people who are ordained by God, who have the fear of God enter into politics, politics will never be the same.
“They will definitely deliver what they promise and that is what you will see if time permits you to go round Akwa Ibom.”
The governor commended the religious leaders for bringing their meeting to Akwa Ibom State and hoped the meeting would serve as a fillip in bringing peace and religious tolerance among Nigerians.
He called on the leaders to warn their adherents to desist from bombing and killing one another in the name of religion, calling for peaceful co-existence among Nigerians.
Abubakar, had explained that their visit to the governor was to inform him of a meeting of NIREC taking place in Uyo.
He lauded him for his giant strides, urging him to do more.