Pope Francis tells Hon Dogara that he has been praying for Nigeria's peace and stability

POPE Francis I has revealed that he regularly prays for peace and stability in Nigeria as part of his contribution to helping solve the plethora of security and socio-economic challenges that the country is facing.

Nigeria is currently bedevilled by a host of problems including a Boko Haram insurgency, calls for secession in the southeast of the country, a seemingly endless war against corruption and attacks on farmlands with armed Fulani cattle herdsmen. Nigeria has about 24m Catholics and is a very important outpost to the Holy See.

Yesterday, Hon Yakubu Dogara, the speaker of the Nigerian House of Representatives visited Pope Francis at the Vatican where the pontiff told him that he always remembers the country in his prayers. Hon Dogara led a Nigerian delegation to the Holy See for a morning mass where nationals and leaders from different countries of the world gathered to join His Holiness in worship and receive blessings.

Hon Dogara who described the meeting with Pope Francis as awesome, said he was surprised and delighted to know that the pontiff is well informed about the happenings in the country. Apparently, the pope asked him how is Nigeria and how are you working for the peace of Nigeria?

Pope Francis then told the speaker: “I pray for the peace of Nigeria and pray for me also”.

During the visit, the speaker was accompanied by the Nigerian ambassador to the Holy See, General George Godwin Umo, who disclosed that the pope held a mass in honour of the 26 Nigerian girls that died in the Mediterranean sea while trying to enter Italy few weeks ago. Hon Dogara is in Italy on the invitation of the president of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, Ms Laura Boldrini, for an international conference on Human Trafficking and Women Empowerment: The Partnership between Nigeria and Italy.