Aug. 19, 2013
By Mohammed Aminu
The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, has called on Nigerians to refrain from using religion and ethnicity to cause breach of peace and violence in the polity.
He also said traditional rulers in the country were determined to ensure a united and peaceful Nigeria.
Speaking at a lunch with the leadership and members of the resident communities in the state at the weekend, the monarch maintained that violence breeds violence and underdevelopment.
He emphasised that such violence and mayhem being perpetrated by individuals for whatever reasons, does nobody any good.
According to him, there would not be any meaningful development in any society where violence and chaos prevail perpetually.
“As you are aware, God has created us with diverse religious and ethnic backgrounds so that we can co-exist peacefully and harmoniously, as a united force. The ethnic and religious differences among Nigerians were allowed by God to unite us not to separate and disunite us.
“So, we should never use our religion, cultural or ethnic affiliations to encourage violence, insecurity and sow the seeds of discord and disunity,” the monarch advised.
He noted that such factors should not be used by selfish and unpatriotic Nigerians in whatever guise to overheat the nation’s polity.
The sultan reaffirmed that the traditional institutions in the country would not relent in their efforts to ensure the sustenance of a single and indivisible Nigeria.
“This country belongs to all of us and we have to collectively join hands to ensure that it remains as one Nigeria. So, Nigerians should continue to fervently pray in this direction for peace to reign in the polity,” he added.
He charged Nigerians to continue to be law abiding and cooperate with the various security agencies in their ongoing efforts to tackle the challenges of insecurity and other forms of criminalities.
The monarch stressed the need for people to help in identifying all suspected strange persons in their midst while landlords should endeavour to collate data of all tenants in the state.
In a remark, the leader of the delegation, Mr. Innocent Udeh, commended the monarch for the gesture, urging other religious, traditional and political leaders to emulate him.
He observed that such laudable gestures would help in further uniting the country and solidify the bonds of peaceful co-existence in Nigeria.
“We are indeed glad for the gesture. The sultan is a bridge-builder and advocate of peace, who is non-tribal and an ardent promoter of religious harmony in the country,” he stressed.