From: Femi Oyelola in Kaduna
Prominent Nigerian leaders have emphasized the importance of national unity through peaceful cohesion as essential for sustainable growth and development in the country.
The leaders, including National Security Adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, Director-General of the Department of State Services Mr. Oluwatosin Ajayi, Benue State Governor Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, and Gombe State Governor and Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum Inuwa Yahaya, made this call during the wedding ceremony of Josephine Tirnok, the daughter of Northern CAN chairman, Rev. Joseph John Hayab, and her husband, Shadrach Ojima-Ojo, in Kaduna at the weekend.
Ribadu, who served as the Father of the Day, was represented by the DG DSS, who was also a special guest of honor, alongside Inuwa Yahaya.
Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia presided over the occasion.
The leaders urged citizens to foster mutual respect and collaboration, emphasizing that national development and peace require a collective effort.
Speaking at the event, Governor Alia, represented by Rev. Fr. Gabriel Ngbea, a Federal Commissioner with the Federal Civil Service Commission representing Nasarawa, Benue, and Plateau States, commended the couple for their union and encouraged them to anchor their marriage on faith, moral values, and the support of their loved ones. He emphasized that marriage is an institution instituted by God and advised the couple to build their home on a foundation that can never fail.
Governor Inuwa also spoke, stating that marriage is a critical and vital institution in the world. He urged the couple to make their home a model of peace and lamented that failures in many homes contribute to the challenges facing the country. Represented by the Deputy Governor of Gombe State, His Excellency Manasseh Daniel Jatau, Inuwa tasked the couple with distinguishing between the excitement of the wedding day and the lifelong responsibilities of marriage. He advised them to prepare for the realities of commitment, forgiveness, and growth, relying on their strong Christian backgrounds, family support, and faith in God.
Following the event, Rev. Joseph John Hayab, the father of the bride and chairman of the Northern CAN, urged Nigerian parents to embrace intercultural marriages as a way to heal the country’s divisions. He described the union as a symbolic model of the harmony needed in Nigeria, asserting that intercultural and interreligious marriages are practical tools for breaking barriers and building trust among diverse communities.
