National integration key to growth, development, clerics declare

Clerics have called for national integration as key to growth and development of the country.

They made the call during the 5th Memorial Lecture in honour of Moses Orimolade Tunolase at the weekend.

The lecture, tagged “Ecumenism and National Integration” was organised by Eternal Sacred Order of Cherubim and Seraphim Church (ESOCS) in Lagos.

The Prelate, ESOCS Worldwide, Dr. David Bob-Manuel, said if churches could promote unity, orderliness and discipline, it would lead to national growth and development.

Other clerics at the event, who also canvassed national integration, were Dr. Israel Akinadewo and Mrs Cordelia Edom. They urged Nigerians to embrace the spirit of ecumenism and national integration for a vibrant nation.

The guest lecturer and Dean, Faculty of Postgraduate Studies, Crowther Theological Seminary, Abeokuta, Ven. Ayodele Atowoju, underscored the need for national integration for social, cultural, political, moral and economic development in the country.

He said: “National integration plays a dynamic role in keeping the country as one and providing an equal opportunity for citizens. It offers equal platform in terms of social, cultural and economic development; thus, national integration is essential for a country’s development because a country with national unity will always flourish and develop in all ramifications.

“National integration helps in keeping the stability of a country and add up to its whole development. It supports to nurture communal harmony and fight cartelism, regionalism and boost feeling of loyalty and fraternity towards the nation,” the cleric added.

He affirmed that for progress to be achieved, Nigerians should embrace unity, saying: “One of the challenges of Nigerians since 1914 was that of national integration.”

Atowoju, who lamented that vices such as marginalisation, terrorism, religious crisis, leadership ineptitude had posed a threat to national integration, called for proactive efforts towards unity and national integration.

“Since independence, the much expected unity and integration of various ethnic groups, cultures, polities, sustained socio-economic programmes and political developments have been plagued by a litany of problems such as misconception of the Nigerian nation, political instability, religious crisis, economic failure, leadership ineptitude, marginalisation, terrorism, banditry, insecurity, among others. Thus, there is need for practical, proactive and effective methods aimed at achieving integration of various sections of Nigeria for national unity.”

He said for unity and national integration to be made possible, Nigerians must be patriotic to the country and vices against integration totally dealt with.

“For us as a nation to attain unity, we must be loyal, proactive and patriotic to the country. Great nations of the world are not necessarily better than us academically, spiritually or physically and otherwise but they built themselves up for integration of their community and this is what we have to do in Nigeria.”