Ahead of the general elections, scheduled to begin on Saturday, March 28, 2015, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ ad Abubakar, yesterday, warned the gladiators, especially President Goodluck Jonathan and Major General Muhammadu Buhari against taking the election as do-or-die affair.
Alhaji Sa ad Abubakar Sultan of Sokoto
Jonathan, the incumbent president, is running on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), while Buhari is the presidential candidate of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).
The elections, initially slated to hold on February 14 and 28, generated heat in the polity before they were rescheduled for March 28 and April 11.
The Sultan spoke on a day Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State urged politicians to defend the nation’s democracy.
Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State also urged elder statesmen and national leaders to speak out against issues that could provoke violence during the general elections.
Abubakar told Jonathan, Buhari and other contestants in the general elections that winners of polls had been pre-destined by God, wondering why some of them view elections as a do-or-die affair.
“While they struggle for electoral success, they should also consider the well-being of the country after elections,” the leader of the Muslim community in Nigeria and also the President, Nigerian Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), stated.
The Sultan spoke when the Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Johnson Olawumi, paid pre-election advocacy visit to his palace in Sokoto.
He called on security agencies to protect corps members and other personnel that will be involved in the conduct of the general elections.
Speaking, yesterday, while delivering the keynote address at a National Integration Roundtable Summit organised by the International Summit Group Nigeria, Uduaghan stressed the need to protect democracy in the country.
The Delta governor enjoined politicians, regardless of their party affiliation to avoid action that could negatively affect the nation’s democratic process.
His words: “Let me also admonish political gladiators on the need to safeguard the nation’s nascent democracy we are currently enjoying and ensure that Nigeria does not disintegrate as predicted by some prophets of doom.
“Let us continue work together to promote the welfare of our people. Posterity will judge us if we fail in our duties to meet the needs of our people.
“I must point out that the challenges of incessant disagreement between ethnic and religious groups has become quite discouraging.”
Meanwhile, Fashola has asked leaders to speak up against issues that could provoke violence during the coming elections, saying, by keeping quiet, they were inadvertently assisting those bent on perpetrating electoral fraud in disrupting the process altogether.
Speaking at the Lagos House, Ikeja, when he hosted members of the Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development Council of the Wise, led by former Nigeria’s Permanent Representative at the United Nations, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, the governor said the time had come when all lovers of the country, but particularly elder statesmen, whose voices could be heard globally, should speak out and condemn statements capable of disrupting the electoral process.
Citing the international community to buttress his point, he explained that the community will not necessarily become conciliators only but would also apportion responsibility where it was fitting and apportion blame where it was fitting.
Abuja— Two prominent Nigerian religious leaders the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, and the National President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, yesterday, openly differed on the war being waged against Nigeria by the Boko Haram insurgents.
Ayo oritsejafor
Although the two religious leaders agreed that the Boko Haram sect had committed serious havoc against the country and its people, they disagreed sharply on why the sect has continued to unleash unabated violence on the nation.
The two men of God spoke at a roundtable meeting with special advisers on religious affairs drawn from the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory held at the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The programme with the theme “Toward synergising and interfacing in the religious sector for national development” organised by the Offices of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Islamic and Christian Matters was declared open by Vice President Namadi Sambo.
In effect, Abubakar had insisted that Islamic leaders had done their best to dissuade the sect from committing further destruction of lives and property while the CAN President punctured the claim, saying that the Islamic leaders had not done enough in that regard.
Muslim leaders have tried so much—Sultan
According to the Sultan, Islamic leaders have “tried so much” to preach against the activities of the sect but Oritsejafor said such effort was not strong enough to prevent the insurgents from further mayhem.
The Sultan maintained that there was no problem between Islam and Christianity in Nigeria, pointing out that if there was any problem between the two major religions, it would have been dealt with at that level.
Abubakar, however, blamed the rising level of insurgence on lack of education about religions which breeds lack of trust and sincerity.
He regretted that while Islamic leaders have continued to condemn the insurgents, they are still being accused of not doing enough. This, he said, was not fair to the religious leaders.
He said, he had personally gone across the globe to preach peace and uphold the fact that there is no problem between Islam and Christianity.
In his quest for peaceful relationship between adherents of the two religions, the Sultan said he had written two separate lengthy letters to the Catholic Pope and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
He said when people were asking Islamic leaders to sit with insurgents and discuss, they fail to note that the current situation could not be compared to the activities of militants in the Niger Delta.
Abubakar said: “In a situation where Muslim leaders condemn insurgents and they will still be told they have not done enough. That is not fair. We don’t tell ourselves the truth. Followers are not telling the leaders the truth, and the leaders will think they are doing the right things.
“If the governor in Sokoto is told that he should sponsor four people to Christian pilgrimage, so be it. It is government’s fund. If a land is needed in Kano for a church, they should get it after following the due process.
“Muslim leaders have tried so much. I have gone across the globe to say that there is no problem between Islam and Christianity.
We are not going deep enough —Oritsejafor
Oritsejafor said: “But if we would come together there must be sincerity, equality, fear of God and genuine love for one another. The problem with gatherings like this is that if we are not careful it becomes an occasion for good photographs, we shake hands, we talk very nicely, we are all politically correct. We don’t want to offend each other. Please let’s offend each other, we need to. Because if we don’t offend each other, we will not tell each other the truth and that is part of Nigeria’s problem.
“If you come out to say certain things, there are those who feel you are rocking the boat, but God is in the boat, the boat will not sink. Let us talk to each other, let’s tell the truth to each other and let’s not sweep it under the carpet. When we finish the opening ceremony and you go into the close door session, lay all the cards on the table.
“It is truth your Eminence that Christianity and Islam have no problem but I’m glad you said, there could be problem between Christians and Muslims and the reason is because probably we are not going deep enough.”
Likening Nigeria to the boat in the Holy Bible that wanted to sink with Jesus Christ on board but did not sink, he noted that many things have happened in Nigeria that have rocked the boat, but the boat has remained standing.
He said: “Some are religious, political, tribal, but different things have happened that have rocked the boat. But let me still thank the Lord that the boat is still floating.”
Querying why a church in the North in the last 30 years have not been able to get a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) for land, he said any mosque or church should be able to get C of O anywhere in the country.
Letter to Boko Haram
He charged the Sultan to also write a letter to Boko Haram to stop their attacks and not just the letter to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
He said: “His Eminence said he wrote a letter to ISIS, I have to truly congratulate you for that because that was a very good move. I didn’t know about it until today and I am so glad it happened. But I want to appeal that you also write to Boko Haram because Boko Haram is worst than ISIS. They have killed more people than ISIS, they have caused more atrocities than ISIS. They need to be written to as well, it is very important it will help.”
ABUJA—CONCERNED Muslim Professionals, CMP, an Islamic group, yesterday, called on the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, NSCIA, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, to engage members of Boko Haram Islamic sect in discussions.
Sultan
CMP, while expressing concern over the activities of the sect, said the insurgency persisted because of the failure of Muslim leadership to intervene.
According to the group, several members of the sect would have laid down their arms and many wouldn’t have joined the erroneous sect, if the Muslim leadership in Nigeria had engaged the sect for discussions.
The President of the organisation, Alhaji Mohammed Saidu, in a letter, entitled “Echoing the message of General Yakubu Gowon (rtd): A call for action on Islamic leadership of Northern Nigeria,” said there had been no visible or invisible effort by the Muslim leadership to convene such engagements at even a single location, let alone covering the whole troubled region.
“That could be why demand for action on the leadership is repeatedly made by well meaning citizens,” the group noted.
The group in the letter obtained by journalists, yesterday, in Abuja, regretted that the activities of the sect had become a great embarrassment to the Islamic faith.
The CMP said: “If the family of billionaire, Umar Mutallab, could have a terrorist in its midst, then such a disease could be everywhere; it can only take the effort of the Sultan and the other Muslim leaders to mobilise compliance by parents and relatives, which is part of the actions being demanded by well-meaning Nigerians.
“The biggest task before our Muslim and Islamic leaders in the North is to reconcile the warring communities of Muslims and Christians through forgiveness, healing and genuine social integration and coexistence; similar to the one referred to by General Gowon on the Muslims of the South-West geopolitical zone. The other task is to make Boko Haram come out of hiding, denounce terrorism and embrace government’s overtures.
“A failure on the part of the Muslim leadership (under His Eminence the Sultan) to discharge these responsibilities/actions to the later will render it of questionable ability, doubtful recognition, decimal loyalty or an outright dismissal as a mere smoke-screen. As obedient and loyalists to His Eminence the Sultan, our hearts bleed on these realities.”
A member representing Jos South and Jos East Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Bitrus Kaze, has faulted a statement credited to the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar that military strike was not a panacea to the Boko Haram insurgency.
The revered monarch, who spoke at the 7thAnnual National Conference of Muslim Lawyers Association of Nigeria (MULAN) on Thursday, called for continuous dialogue with the insurgents as the war against terrorism cannot be won with
force, citing the case of the US Government’s swap deal with the Taliban, which saw an American soldier released in exchange for five very senior al-Qaeda leaders.
“There is need for dialogue. You cannot win any insurgency by way of force. When somebody tells you that he is not a Boko Haram, please take it that he is not because if he is (Boko Haram), he will never denounce it”, the Sultan was quoted as saying.
But in a statement signed by the lawmaker on Friday, he described Sultan Abubakar’s comment as unfortunate, as it came at a time the war against terrorism in Nigeria was gaining international recognition and assistance.
He said, “Coming shortly after another extension of emergency rule in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states and at a time when the war against terrorism is gaining global attention following the abduction of nearly 300 schoolgirls in Chibok, the statement credited to the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, that the war against insurgency cannot be won by use of force is depressing, counter-productive and very dangerous”.
According to Kaze, the comment was capable of demoralising the morale of troops, who are in the battle front in the campaign against Boko Haram.
Kaze added, “As a retired Colonel whose last duty post was Pakistan, the hotbed of global terrorism, the Sultan should understand better the implications and inevitability of the use of force in Nigeria’s counter-insurgency efforts”.
The lawmaker stressed that no counter-insurgency strategy could be sustained anywhere in the world without the use of force.
The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, has said if the government can address injustice against Muslims, the seemingly intractable security challenges will be surmounted.
He said Muslims are not happy, but willing to support the government in its efforts towards peace and stability.
He insisted that people must change from their “evil ways” and assist the government to develop the nation.
The Sultan spoke yesterday in Abuja during a national prayer session organised by the NSCIA where Islamic scholars gathered to pray for peace and security.
Others at the event include Vice President Namadi Sambo, House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Tambuwal, Acting governor of Taraba State Garba Umar, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Bala Mohammed, Sheikh Ahmed Lemu, NSCIA Secretary General Prof. Ishaq Oloyede and a host of other clerics.
The Sultan, who said the gathering was not politically motivated, urged the government to address injustice against Muslims as a starting point for peace in the land.
He urged the Vice President to convey the message to President Goodluck Jonathan, saying: “Our hearts are full of pains about what is happening. Mr Vice President, please extend to the President the plight of Muslims in Nigeria. We are not happy with regard to insecurity, instability and other vices affecting our society.
“The Muslims feel rightly so marginalised, the Muslims feel not being treated equally as equals in this country. Therefore, the Muslims want and also demand being treated with equality, justice and fairness andIn Sha Allah, things will turn around and be better for our country.”
“We are not happy with the situation in terms of development in this country. We are ready any time to offer concrete advice, purely based on Islamic injunctions and tenets to our leaders. When we do so, we have discharged our responsibility as ordered by Allah. The rest is left for the political leaders to do what is right.
“We are gathered here to reflect on the mood of Muslims of this nation, and we are assuring Mr President that we are committed to peace and stability, ready to help him and government at all levels to bring peace.
“Whatever we can do as long as it is not against Islam, we are ready to do it 100 percent. With more commitment, if all Muslims, especially our leaders that control the resources of this country, a turnaround in order to have a stable, peaceful and happy country that we can all be proud of.
“We have to make it clear to all that the situation in the country is very serious. We are fighting an enemy with no boundaries. Terrorists are everywhere. They are amongst us but we don’t know them.
“We are in a situation that is worse than the civil war Nigeria went through. In the civil war, you had perceived opponents whom you were fighting against, but in this case, you don’t know who the enemy is. The person sitting next to you might be a terrorist, you don’t know.
“It’s a serious situation and we have to close ranks as Muslims, and close ranks as Nigerians, irrespective of political and ethnic divides and not to play politics with insecurity at all levels.
“We are ready to give our support, 100 percent to security agencies who must work extra hard to bring confidence back to Nigerians they are paid to protect. With what is happen now, we still have a long way to go.”
Defending Muslims against terrorist activities, the Sultan, however, enjoined Muslims to reflect on their ‘eveil ways’ and corruption if the country must move forward.
He also urged them to be adhere to the tenets and teachings of Islam, saying: “While we are here to supplicate to Allah to listen to us, I must bring to your attention the need for Muslims to correct our evil ways in the world.
“We can not claim to be religious and be Muslims without following the tenets of Islam, without following what the Qur’an says we should do as Muslims, without trying copying to the barest minimum, to the best of our abilities the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet Mohammed.
“Therefore, we can not claim to be pious in our ways when corruption is bedeviling our country; we can not claim to be praying and hoping that Allah will answer our prayers when we are so corrupt and so morally bankrupt.
“For us to be near Allah, we must, in its entirety abolish corruption in our country. Corruption breeds injustice, injustice has no place in Islam. Injustice is a big barrier to good governance and if you don’t have good governance in any society, you don’t have the people.”
The Islamic leader regretted that pervasive corruption and injustice were responsible for the crisis of moral decadence in the country, which he advised must be tackled with firmness, fear of God and the support of the populace.
He said: “We call on our leaders at all levels to always fear God in what they do and work hard to eradicate corruption from our country. We can not move forward as a nation when our country is facing crisis of moral decadence.
“I have said it at various fora, that what is happening is a very serious state of terrorism. Terrorism has no place in Islam. We Muslims have debunked what has been happening, we have refused to be associated with terrorism and we have condemned all acts of terrorism with one voice.
“We must try our best as Muslims to ensure that there is peace in communities, to do that, we must fish out those bad elements amongst us. If we know them, we must expose them; if we don’t, their are ways our authorities would work with us to bring out these culprits”.
The Muslim leader said the gathering was not politically motivated, but necessitated by the need to offer prayers to Allah over the crisis the country is going through.
He said: “This gathering is about Muslims in Nigeria who believe in the powers of prayers to Allah in terms of emergency, in terms of being good to one another, even in terms of happiness, as Muslims, we always offer supplications to Allah.
“This gathering in Abuja is, therefore, unique being the first time as ulama (Islamic scholars) from across the country.
“It is important for us to make this point for us to debunk certain rumors that may come up that it is a political jamboree.
“This gathering has nothing to do with politics; the politics we have is not about election but uplifting the living standard of Muslims, ensuring that Muslims are and adequately protected and given their rights as citizens of this great country.
“The politics we have is that of peace and stability of this great country, that of ensuring equity, Justice and fairness across all boundaries of this country with.
“This (yesterday) morning is, therefore, special in the the sense that we have amongst us political and traditional leaders from across the country, political leaders, traditional leaders and religious leaders from across the length and breadth of this country.
“Coming together as one big family, as Muslims in Nigeria, is an indication of the need to close ranks and remove all divisions and here we are, in the house of Allah as one family not as Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo or adherent of Dhariqah, Izallah or others sects but as one big family of Muslims in Nigeria”.
The Sultan also urged Muslims to be patient with government assuring the government of support of Muslims towards peace and stability.
Vice President Namadi Sambo, praising the NSCIA and the Sultan for their efforts at ending the insecurity in the land, the Federal Government was working hard to rescue the abducted Chibok schoolgirls.
In his remarks, Speaker House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal reiterated the determination of the legislature to support the executive in fighting terrorism.
According to him, legislative decision to back the executive in extending state of emergency in three Northeastern states, as well as uncensored budgetary appropriation for security were indicative of the legislature’s determination to assist the government.
He said: “As the Legislatures of this country, we have been working within our constitutional powers to support the Executive Arm of government in the fight against terrorism, we are expected first to appropriate funds to our security agencies; that much we have been doing.
“I believe many of us here and many Nigerians out there can bear me witness that we have never attempted to reduce what is proposed by the executive.
“We have passed the amended Anti-Terrorism Law to enable our security agencies function effectively. In the recent past, we have passed the extension of the State of Emergency in states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe.
“I think we need to understand why we have to stand side-by-side with the executive arm of government in this fight.
“When many countries of the world deploy their men to come and support us, here we must not be seen to be divided as this will send a wrong signal to the International community.
“I seek on behalf of the National Assembly the understanding of those of us who have reservations for the extension.
“I assure you that we are working for the good of the country and particularly when it is time for RamadanFast, we shall impress on the executive that the period of restriction should be relaxed so that Muslim faithful would observe their prayers successfully.”
Clerics and scholars took turns to pray for the country in their mother tongues.
As many Muslims continue to distance themselves from the activities of the dreaded Boko Haram insurgents, the President-General of the Supreme Council for islamic Affairs, who is also the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, and the Executive governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, have appealed to Nigerians not to link Boko Haram extremists with Islam.
Sultan
They both spoke in Ibadan during the inauration of Bodija Estate and Environs Muslim Community Islamic Centre. The Sultan of Sokoto called on Muslims to continue living in peace with non-Muslims, adding that Islam is a religion of peace. He advised Muslims to copy the steps of Prophet Mohammed.
Similarly, Governor Ajimobi denounced any link associating terrorism with Islam, saying that it is a religion of peace.
Ajimobil advised the communities to always play active roles in Islamic affairs in order to develop the religion, saying that whatever they did on earth, including contributing to building of mosques, they shall reap the reward hereafter.
In his lecture entitled, “The Role of Mosque in Islam”, the Chief Imam, University of Ilorin Central Mosque, Prof. Abdul-Ganiyy Oladosu, said mosques had the potential of uniting Islamic faithful without discrimination.
Despite the increased in the killing of the Islamist sect, Boko Haram, Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III has assured Nigerians that the problem of insecurity in the country would soon come to an end.
He gave this assurance in a short interview with State House correspondent immediately after leading 2013 Federal Government Hajj delegation to present their report to the President.
Sultan
He said that after the presentation, the delegation used the opportunity to rub mind with the President regarding the security challenges in the country.
He added that with what President Jonathan disclosed to them, he was convinced that the problem would soon end.
“We took time to rub minds on some few security issues affecting Nigeria. We heard from Mr. President and he also heard from us. Insha Allah, Nigeria will be better for it very soon,” he declared.
He said, “At the end of each Hajj operation of each particular year, the Amir Hajj delegation submits its report to the President highlighting what really transpired, what are the challenges and what we feel Mr. President should do to make Hajj operations in Nigeria better.
“So this morning, we submitted our report to the President and highlighted areas of achievements and also some few areas which we feel the government should still come in.
“We also commended Mr. President for the support he has been giving to Hajj operations in Nigeria and I think you are all aware of the significant leap we have in terms of preparing and conducting Hajj operations in Nigeria. Much better than what it used to be.
“The President assured us of the government’s continued total support for Hajj operations in this country.”
Similarly, President Jonathan had said on Monday that despite the violence being carried out by the sect, his administration will not surrounded to the terrorists.
He commended the President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta for not cancelling his three days state visit to Nigeria despite the attack on the country’s capital.
President Jonathan said this after a bilateral discussion with Kenyatta as part of activities of the Kenyan leader’s state visit.
Jonathan stressed that terrorists attack countries they observed have signs of development and growth, adding that terror attack as diversionary.
He said their mission is to bring Nigeria back, but assured that Nigeria would overcome the insurgents.
He revealed that the sect mission is to threaten people and government, adding that they would not succeed in halting business in the country.
He said, “I also want to use this opportunity to express the condolence of Nigeria to government of Kenya on the last terror attack. For us in Nigeria, we have been experiencing these dastardly acts for sometimes now.
“Kenya is beginning to experience it. We have to appreciate the courage expressed by the President for not aborting the state visit and the invitation to the World Economic Forum because of the attack.”
Kaduna, April 13, 2014 (NAN) The Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, on Sunday said there were no plans to turn Nigeria into an Islamic nation.
Abubakar, who is also the President-General, Jamatu Nasril Islam (JNI), made this known at the Golden Jubilee lecture of the JNI in Kaduna.
“Nobody can Islamise Nigeria, if Allah wanted he would have made everybody Muslims, so also with Christianity. God would have made everybody Christian if He wanted.
He stressed the need for the people to set aside ethno-religious differences and be committed toward peace and development of the nation.
The Sultan said JNI criticism of certain policies of the present government was a wakeup call for government or those in leadership positions “to do what is right’’.
He said that JNI’s action was not aimed at fighting the government or any group or religion.
Abubakar, however, decried the insecurity that had pervaded many parts of the nation, especially the North-East by the Boko Haram insurgents.
He said that the activities of the insurgents should not be seen as an attempt by Muslims to prosecute Christians or turn Nigeria into an Islamic country.
Abubakar, therefore, appealed to Christians and other faithful to join hands with Muslims to tackle the present security challenges and other problems facing the country.
He also urged them to see Islam as a peaceful religion.
Vice President Namadi Sambo, in his goodwill message, said the present administration would continue to support JNI in its programmes.
Sambo reiterated commitment of the Federal Government in tackling insecurity and illiteracy in the country.
He also assured the Islamic body of the government’s effort to address the constant clashes between Fulani herdsmen and farmers in some states of the federation.
Gov. Mukhtar Yero of Kaduna State urged JNI to play its role in defusing tension based on interpretations of Allah’s revelations.
This, Yero said, the Islamic organisation could do by encouraging Islamic scholars and preachers to dwell more on the five pillars of Islam.
Yero said that the five pillars remained the core of the Islam and its unifying factors.
He also stressed the need for the body to collaborate with other inter-faith dialogue organisations toward promoting peace and unity in the nation.
“The objective of such interaction is to devise means of promoting peaceful coexistence for the development of our great country.
“We all know that without peace and stability there can be no meaningful development because our country will economically stagnate, while majority of the people, irrespective of faith, wallow in abject poverty.
“It is, therefore, a collective responsibility, especially on the part of the JNI and similar bodies in the country, to galvanise the people toward achieving lasting peace and security,’’ he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Speaker House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, governors, traditional leaders, and Islamic scholars attended the occasion. (NAN)
Alhaji Saad Abubakar III, the Sultan of Sokoto, has on Wednesday led a group of aggrieved Muslim leaders to the Presidential Villa to protest to President Goodluck Jonathan, the composition of the ongoing National Conference.
Sultan
The sultan refused to speak with journalists after the meeting with the President, but the Secretary General of Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede said that the President assured that whatever happened is not a deliberate attempt to marginalize Muslims in Nigeria.
Oloyede said : “We came to consult with Mr. President. We are happy we consulted with him, and he has given us reasons to re-assure us that Muslims in Nigeria are not deliberately marginalised and he has asked us to convey the feelings of the government, the genuineness of the government, the fairness of the government to the entire populace.”
“That if there are issues that are not as they ought to be, they were not deliberate and we want to believe that Mr. President told us his mind but we also want to believe that while it is proper to protest, it is also proper to assume that a leader will always be just even if there are mistakes thereafter.”
“We just felt that we must convey the feelings of the Muslims in Nigeria to Mr. President and he has given us his words to re-assure the Muslims community that he is a genuine and committed Christian who will not be unjust to others even,” he added
The jama’atu Nasril islam (JNI) had opposed the composition of the national conference last week, alleging that the number of Christians in the ongoing conference is more than the Muslims, therefore raised alarm on Muslim marginalization.
JNI stressed that the method used in selecting delegates for the Conference was not free and fair. The secretary General of JNI, Dr. Khalid Abubakar Aliyu had earlier address journalist in Kaduna, stressing that Muslims were cheated in spite having the largest population in the country.
He said: “Although democracy is a game of numbers, this has not been respected. For instance, While Muslims constitute the majority in the country, Christians, who by all acceptable records are not more than 40 per cent of the country’s population, ironically constitutes 62 per cent of the total delegates.”
“We find it as disrespect to the conscience of the Muslims that of the 20 delegates of the federal government, only six are Muslims. No Muslim is deemed fit to make the list of delegates from the Nigerian Economic summit. In fact in the representation of the security agencies Muslims have been so unimaginably short-changed with only one Muslim out of the six retired military and security personnel, one out of six retired security and NIA officers, and two out of delegates of the Association of Retired Police Officers. This means, of the 18 security experts belonging to these three groups, only 4 (22.2 per cent) are Muslims. The question is, why is this serious short-changing of Muslims in these very sensitive groups?” he stated
Among the delegation are; Shehu of Borno, Abubakar Ibn Garbai, former Head of Service of the Federation, Yayale Ahmed, former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Mohammad Uwais.
THE Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, is worried by the bloodshed in parts of the north, especially with the 2015 elections approaching.
He wants President Goodluck Jonathan to urgently take steps to stop the killings.
Sultan
“Let’s not make 2015 a year of taking innocent lives away,” he cautioned yesterday in his palace, while receiving the president who was on a private visit, his second in as many weeks.
“This is one of the things bothering Nigerians. There should a be level play filed and politicians should ensure that there is no waste of blood for the quest for power.”
The Sultan cited the intermittent clashes in Benue State between Fulani herdsmen and Tiv farmers and asked the president to meet with the governors of the affected areas with a view to finding a lasting solution to the problem.
“You have to do everything possible to bring politicians, all ethnic nationalities and religious interest groups together for talks on the way out against the trend of insurgency and clashes especially in the North east,” he said.
“Human life is important and sacred and we should not play politics with security. You should endeavour to take objective suggestions from people to bring the madness to an end.
“We are full of sadness with heavy hearts about what is happening. We are worried by the number of lives of our young children lost recently in Yobe.”
He acknowledged that though the task of overcoming the insurgency is huge, Nigerians owe it a duty to be committed to the course.
The Sultan also reiterated the need for the leadership to be transparent and God fearing in governance.
“Although, we have heard Mr. President’s words of commitment on that, and we want other politicians to do the same, we will do our best to ensure peace and unity prevail in the country,” he stated.
He presented the president with a publication on the principles leadership.
President Jonathan said he was in Sokoto to pay his respect.
He hailed the Sultan’s efforts at fostering unity and peace in the country.
“We are committed to the peace and unity of Nigeria,” he maintained.
Also speaking, Governor Aliyu Wamakko decried the killings in the Northeast, saying, “these acts must be tackled and stopped.
“Government must do something urgently to stop the loss of lives particularly in the north east,” he urged.
Wamakko told the president that Sokoto was founded on the path of honesty, good governance, rule of law and respect for human value.
Meanwhile, the governor at a brief meeting shortly after the departure of the president reiterated his support and resilience of the All Progressives Change (APC) to win the 2015 elections in the state.
He said:” We are committed in spirit and soul to ensure victory of the APC. We are for change and stand for the course. No retreat, no surrender for what our people desire.” (0)
The revered monarch, who spoke at the 7thAnnual National Conference of Muslim Lawyers Association of Nigeria (MULAN) on Thursday, called for continuous dialogue with the insurgents as the war against terrorism cannot be won with
He said Muslims are not happy, but willing to support the government in its efforts towards peace and stability.
Abubakar, who is also the President-General, Jamatu Nasril Islam (JNI), made this known at the Golden Jubilee lecture of the JNI in Kaduna.