The minister of state, petroleum resources (gas), Obonogemem Ekpo, says in Nigeria, but for God and President Bola Tinubu, peace would have eluded the country completely.

Mr Ekpo noted that before the emergence of the present administration, non-state actors had taken over and had created security challenges across the nation.

The minister stated this in a speech he delivered as the guest speaker at the national congress of the Divine Mercy Devotion, Nigeria, in Calabar on Friday.

Divine Mercy Devotion is a group under the Roman Catholic Church.

Represented by Julius Emasegen, general secretary of the group, Mr Ekpo said that the Nigerian military has asserted full military dominance against these non-state actors.

“As government is grappling with Boko Haram in Sambisa forest in North Nigeria, gunmen were causing mayhem in the South-East.

“Similarly, militants attempt to break pipelines and burn down communities in the South-South while the South-West wrestled the federal government for self-government.

“The North Central has been facing untold banditry and kidnapping through the herdsmen/farmers conflict.

“Very recently, the Lakuwara section has emerged from Nigeria’s North West as aftermath of the coups in Niger. I thought the Nigerian military had asserted full military dominance against them.

“Government appears helpless, but there is a simple solution: we can turn to God with complete trust at the hour of Mercy. No one would know how sustainable peace enveloped Nigeria,” he stated.

Speaking further, Mr Ekpo said it is natural for nation-states to face some difficulties at a particular time in their history.

“God of Mercy can use a few days of this congress to bless Nigeria and end all her woes and difficulties automatically.

“Let me state it clearly that Faustina’s Poland faced more than what Nigeria is experiencing now and came out resilient,” he emphasised.

In his address, the national promoter of the group, Most Rev. Martin Uzoukwu, said the theme of the congress, “Divine Mercy: The Real Source of Hope for Our Country”, clearly demonstrates its importance.

According to him, “It is the spiritual and social forum that draws us out of our different communities, and from, among our peoples in all parts of Nigeria, to emphatically express our total trust in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

No fewer than 3,000 members of groups are gathered in Calabar for the four-day programme.

The groups are from the 57 dioceses and nine provinces of the Roman Catholic church in Nigeria.

(NAN)