Abuja — Nigeria Inter-religious Council (NIREC), a forum of Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs and the Christians Association of Nigeria CAN), has advised the Federal Government to re-double its efforts and vigorously pursue its anti-corruption campaign in various sectors of the nation.

In a communiqué issued by the group at the end of its first quarter 2008 meeting held at Protea Hotel, Enugu, between 17 and 20 February, 2008 and signed by the president-general of the SCIA and Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar III, and the president of CAN, Archbishop John Onayekan, NIREC also resolved to sustain effort, aimed at reducing inter-religious tension in the country.

The group called on governments, at all levels to invest hugely in education and the proper upbringing of children and promotion of moral rejuvenation through religious education.

Urging the government to create enabling environment in order to check the high rate of youth restiveness and to protect lives and property, the inter-religious group admonishes all religious leaders to jointly champion the cause of "truth, honesty, accountability, fear of God and justice, and ensure that our followers in all walks of life imbibe these virtues and put them into practice."

The urgent need to establish NIREC clubs that will promote interaction and cooperation between Christians and Muslims at the secondary schools and tertiary institutions in Nigeria as a way of promoting and entrenching religious understanding and mutual respect also received the attention of the religious group.

NIREC noted the plight of Nigerian pensioners and called on federal and state governments to urgently address the matter.

It commended Yar'Adua for establishing the electoral reform panel.

"This would assist in identifying the flaws in the electoral process," the group stated.

According to the press statement, the deputy Senate president Ike Ekweremadu, Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State and his counterpart in Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, and the general officer commanding 82 Division of Nigeria Army, Major-General A. I. Ibrahim, among other dignitaries, attended the opening ceremony.