BY NONYE JULIET EKWENUGO
Kaduna
Top Nigerian leaders have renewed calls for national unity, peaceful coexistence and mutual respect, describing them as indispensable tools for addressing the country’s insecurity and development challenges.
They made the call in Kaduna at the wedding ceremony of Josephine Tirnok, daughter of the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Northern Nigeria, Rev. Joseph John Hayab, and her husband, Shadrach Ojima-Ojo.
Speaking at the event, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, represented by the director-deneral of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Oluwatosin Ajayi, emphasised that Nigeria’s challenges, ranging from insecurity to underdevelopment cannot be resolved without unity across ethnic, religious and cultural divides.
He stressed the need for Nigerians to embrace peaceful coexistence, tolerance and mutual respect, noting that unity remains the foundation for sustainable national growth and stability.
In his remarks, Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State, represented by his deputy, Manasseh Daniel Jatau, described marriage as the most important institution in society, saying the strength or failure of families directly affects the stability of the nation.
He urged couples to understand that marriage goes beyond the excitement of the wedding day, stressing the need for commitment, forgiveness, sacrifice and continuous growth.
The governor encouraged the newly married couple to rely on Christian values, family support and faith in God as they journey through life together.
Similarly, Benue State governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, represented by Rev. Fr. Gabriel Ngbea, a Federal Commissioner with the Federal Civil Service Commission representing Nasarawa, Benue and Plateau States, congratulated the couple and urged them to build their marriage on faith, moral discipline and family support.
He described marriage as a divine institution and advised couples to anchor their homes on God, whom he said remains the only foundation that cannot fail.
Speaking with journalists shortly after the ceremony, the father of the bride, Rev. Joseph John Hayab, called on parents to embrace intercultural and interfaith marriages as a practical pathway to national healing and unity.
Describing the union as symbolic, Rev Hayab said marriages that cut across ethnic and religious boundaries help break long-standing barriers, foster trust and promote peaceful coexistence among Nigeria’s diverse communities.
He urged parents to allow their children choose life partners based on love, character and compatibility rather than tribe or religion, stressing that sustainable peace in Nigeria must begin from the family unit.
Dignitaries at the ceremony included, Kaduna State governor, Uba Sani, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Mallam Sani Kila Liman; deputy governor of Kaduna State, Dr. Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe; members of the Kaduna State Executive Council; Mrs. Abigail Marshall Katung, Mayor of Leeds and wife of Senator Sunday Marshall Katung and chairman of the Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service, Mr. Jerry Adams, among others.
