AFRICA: NIGERIA: PRESIDENT TO SEND AMBASSADOR TO VATICAN ON POPE'S REQUEST

ALL AFRICA REPORT: PRESIDENT of the Senate, Senator David Mark yesterday said Nigeria would consider the request of Pope Benedict XVI to deploy an ambassador to the Vatican City, Rome.

This he said, would facilitate and improve the bilateral relationship between Nigeria and the Vatican.

At the moment, Nigeria's Ambassador to Spain oversees the affairs of the mission in the Vatican.

The President of the Senate was speaking when he played host to the Apostolic Nuntio to Nigeria, Most Reverend Augustine Kasujja, in Abuja.

Senator Mark told his guest that Nigeria is a secular state where freedom of worship is upheld.

He said: "We practice freedom of worship in Nigeria. There is no extremism. We inter marry across religious lines and we live in harmony between and among religious groups. That is why Nigeria is a unique country in Africa".

He said Nigeria will continue to play a leading role in Africa, pointing out that Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan as Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is leading the efforts towards finding solution to the political impasse in Cote d' voire.


The Pope Ambassador had requested Nigeria to consider sending an envoy to the Vatican saying "Nigeria is too big not to have an Ambassador in the Vatican".Earlier, the Apostolic Nuntio, requested Nigeria to take a decisive step to find solution to the rising violence in Jos, Plateau State, saying that the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI is worried about the development and wants the crisis put to an end.

Rev. Kasujja counseled that Nigeria conducts its affairs in a manner that would engender peace, progress and unity among the people.

He expressed optimism that Nigeria has the abundant human and economic potentials to lead Africa out of the economic doldrums.

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