The Israeli Deputy Head of Mission, Nadav Goren, has urged Nigerians to stand against electoral violence in the 2019 general election and promote sustainable peace.
Goren gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) to mark the end of the second stage of the ongoing 1ST First National Old Testament contest on Tuesday in Abuja.
The contest has been organized by the Israeli Embassy in collaboration with the Christians United for Israel (CUFI) and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).
The Bible contest which is organized in three stages started in September and will be rounded off this month.
The Mission’s head said that the call for resilience against electoral violence had become imperative because of the need for peace, unity and sustainable development.
“With conflicts at varying intensity levels in the North East, Middle Belt, and South-East regions and in the Niger Delta, there is the need for collective efforts towards the desired goal.
“As we near elections here in Nigeria, these tensions are prone to show themselves more and more.
“I call on the government and people of Nigeria to have a strong stand against violence to ensure that the forthcoming election will be peaceful.
“The media also has a key role in this as well, in keeping the public informed about the electoral process and the leaders accountable,’’ Goren said.
The envoy commended the 2015 general election in Nigeria, saying they have marked a deviation from the past experiences.
He, therefore, urged the country to improve on the success, so far recorded.
He described the relationship between Nigeria and Israel as mutual, adding that more steps would be taken to strengthen the ties between the two countries, especially in areas of agriculture, security, trade, and economy.
The envoy explained that the Bible contest was initiated to be eye-opening towards the desire for knowledge amongst Nigerians.
According to him, the contest resonates a message of peaceful coexistence and development of the strong ties between Nigeria and Israel.
He said that 1,800 people took the contest in the first stage that was conducted via the internet in September.
Goren noted that 74 top scorers competed in the second stage of the contest across the six geo-political zones of the country in October.
Meanwhile, the remaining 12 finalists would compete at a grand finale in Abuja on Nov. 14.
NAN reports that the contest titled “living peacefully in the promised land” sought to encourage peaceful co-existence in Nigeria and preach against violence.