Mr. Vice-President, Please Stop Preachments!

Sir: During the administration of the former President Goodluck Jonathan, there were many instances where he often used the podium of the church and of religion to make reckless and unguarded statements about the Nigerian state and its administration.

While he was vilified and rightly so, I am mightily bewildered that the incumbent vice-president has taken after the former president in making state statements from the pulpit as well.

While we will forgive him this time apparently because he is a rookie on the job, Nigerians take exception to treating matters of state from the couch of religion. While we must remind ourselves that Nigeria is a secular state, and must be run as such, instances where key public officials mount religious podiums to make reckless speeches cannot be accepted.

In no other country but Nigeria are we to find public officials making statements capable of offending the sensibilities of other religions.

Even though public officials are at liberty to be religious, however, going by our very recent history and experience, making statements from the podium of a church as Prof. Osibanjo did last week at the Central Church Abuja is immature, unacceptable and unbecoming of an esteemed personality who rode to power on the platform of change. • MajiriOghene Etemiku, Benin City.