President Muhammadu
Buhari says he appointed more Christians than Muslims in his days as a military
ruler.
Buhari’s
military regime was between December 1983 and August 1985.
Speaking
when he played host to a delegation of the Arewa Pastors Non-Denominational
Initiative for Peace in Nigeria (APIPN) at the presidential villa
in Abuja on Thursday, Buhari debunked reports that he has an Islamic
agenda.
He
called on religious leaders to work towards building a strong and unified
nation, and avoid insinuations that could divide the populace, especially along
religious lines.
“Some
voices, for political or ethnic reasons, are making unguarded statements
accusing the government and myself in particular of religious bias,” he said.
“Let
me assure you, honourable clergymen that this is far from the truth. In my
career as a soldier, administrator, and politician, I have never veered from my
oath of office.
“When
I had the honour to lead a military government there were more Christians than
Muslims in the federal executive council (FEC) and the supreme military council
(SMC).
“This
was not by design but I appointed people on their merit without the slightest bias.
The present federal executive council (FEC) is also evenly balanced; again not
by design but by respecting and rewarding individual qualities.”
Buhari
said religious leaders have the responsibility of creating an enabling
environment for peace and development to thrive.
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