THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH IN POLITICS

SUMMARY

  Conflict is not all a bad phenomenon as it has been made to be believed. There are some positive benefits which the church can give to Nigeria if they continue to properly manage and resolve conflict. Conflict can lead to increase in understanding. The discussion needed to resolve conflict expands people's awareness of the situation, giving them an insight into how they can achieve their own goals without undermining those of other people. Conflict can also Increase group cohesion. When conflict is resolved effectively, team members can develop stronger mutual respect and a renewed faith in their ability to work together. This goes to show that the problem with conflict in Nigeria is not in the conflict itself but in the nature of how it is managed and resolved. The church has greatly stepped into this responsibility of fostering conflict resolution and a peaceful environment for coexistence Christian/Church leaders have always publicly stood for societal peace and harmony and against violence. It is now widely accepted that violent conflict is the major hindrance to the development of Nigeria. It inflicts human sufferings through death, destruction of livelihoods, constant displacement and insecurity (Akano, and Bamigbose, 2019). Violent conflict disrupts the process of production, creates conditions for pillage of the country’s resources and diverts their application from development purposes to servicing war