Archbishop of Canterbury visits Jonathan, prays for Nigeria

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rt. Rev. Justin Welby, on Wednesday visited the Presidential Villa, Abuja to pray and condole with President Goodluck Jonathan on the security challenge in the country.

The visit by Welby is coming barely four days after the online publication of a British newspaper, The Mail on Sunday, reported that his Australian friend, Dr. Stephen Davis, had been hired by Jonathan to negotiate the release of the 219 schoolgirls abducted by the militant Islamic sect, Boko Haram on April 14.

The Archbishop was accompanied on the visit by the Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh; the Chaplain to the President, Ven. Obioma Onwuzurumba; and the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Board, Mr. John Kennedy-Okpara.

They met with the President behind closed-doors.

After the meeting, Welby spoke   with State House correspondents on the security challenge facing the country and assured Nigerians that “people throughout the world” were praying for it to end.

He made reference to the recent bomb blasts in Jos, Plateau State but made no direct comment on the abducted girls.

Welby said, “The bombing in Jos was deeply disheartening because I know Jos very well. I came to pray with His Excellency and express our condolence for the losses,” said Welby, who along with Davis brokered the truce between the Federal Government and the Niger Delta militants in 2004.

He added, “God is faithful. In one of the letters that Paul wrote to the church, he talked about the sufferings they were going through being known throughout the world and that certainly is true here because the suffering in Nigeria is known throughout the world.

“People throughout the world pray for the country. It is a country which I have profound respect and deep love. And like many, I am deeply grieved by what is happening but God is faithful.

“He is always faithful to us and as Christians, in Jesus Christ, we believe in His faithfulness and we can trust Him for the future.

“I don’t have words to describe the good potential this country has. There is great difficulty at the moment but it is a country with such enormous potential. I think Nigerians by nature are joyful, hopeful and vigorous. They work hard.

“The country has so much going for it. In the meeting, the President talked about the need of a solution that will reach all people, not just the security but economy, spiritual and every part of the human life.”

Welby came to the Presidential Villa two days after a delegation of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation visited the President and four days after a group of Islamic clerics led by Khalifa Ahmed Inyass visited.

Davis, a   hostage negotiator and a former Canon Emeritus at the Coventry Cathedral in London, has   been in Nigeria   working secretly on the release of the girls for almost a month.

He had   revealed he had had ‘‘ongoing contacts’’ with the groups involved in the kidnapping in the North-East for seven years.

Meanwhile, the   Federal Government on Wednesday   insisted that it was open to all options that could lead to the safe rescue of the schoolgirls.

The Director General of the National Orientation Agency, who coordinates the National Information Centre, Mr. Mike Omeri, said this while briefing the press on the progress made in the efforts to   rescue the girls.

He, however, failed to say if the Federal Government had opened negotiations with   Boko Haram.

Omeri also declined to give details of how far security agencies had gone in the task of securing the girls’ release.

He said that divulging too much information could jeopardise the operations being backed by security operatives from a number of countries including Britain, France and the United States.

The NOA chief also said any corporate organisation or individual interested in     alleviating the pains of victims of terrorism in the country could contact the National Emergency Management Agency.

He   failed to speak specifically on the offer of help volunteered by the Australian government. Omeri said the offer by Australia to send its special forces was still in the realm of media speculation.