The Sultan who spoke at a symposium held at the Umaru Ali Shinkafi Polytechnic, Sokoto, on the second day of his tenth enthronement anniversary celebration, maintained, however, that traditional rulers had confidence in what President Muhammadu Buhari and his team were doing towards restoring the nation’s lost glory.
The Sultan vowed that he would go the extra mile to ensure that Nigeria has the needed peace and peaceful coexistence, even as he called on leaders to rethink their actions, as according to him, most of them, especially the governors, often pursue policies that do not reflect the needs of their people.
To such governors, Sultan said, “Building an airport of N30 billion when you cannot pay salaries of your workers is very wrong. We have international airports in some states that are only used for airlifting pilgrims, when the roads that the common man use are terribly bad but they see no reason to come together and repair them, because if they construct airport, they would go back to the federal government for reimbursement.
“If we don’t say the truth, we cannot progress. It’s our duty to tell political leaders (that) these are the needs of the common man because once their grievances are addressed, there would not be any security challenges in the country.”
But speaking specifically to Vice President Yemi Osibanjo, Sultan described him as a worthy companion whose desire for a greater Nigeria is not in doubt.
Sultan further commended Osibanjo for his forthrightness and unalloyed confidence in President Muhammad Buhari’s progamme of trying to redeem Nigeria’s image.
While calling on Nigerians to support Buhari’s fight against corruption, Sultan noted that politics and injustice formed part of problems bedevilling Nigeria.
He, however, urged Nigerians not to attach politics, religion or ethnic judgments to Buhari’s ongoing fight against corruption, adding that people were hiding under politics and religion to cause problems in the country.
“We should not allow anybody to bring down this country to its knees,” he said, adding that no nation can attain development when its leaders do not have the fear of God in their dealings.
In his appeal for the agitators of restructuring, Sultan said they should rather put that aside and think of how best the citizens can develop together through the restructuring of hearts and minds.
On this note, Sultan called on Nigerians, irrespective of political, religious or ethnic affiliations, to come together and confront their common problems, which he identified as corruption and “those who never meant well for Nigeria to enable us have sustainable peace and development.”
While lamenting that security challenges are products of bad governance, Sultan suggested a national security summit where stakeholders would put forward workable permanent solutions.
Sultan added that all Nigerians should, and must, respect the viewpoint, lifestyle and traditions of others, hence the need to ensure freedom of religion at all times.
“God created us together in tribes and religion to understand one another but not to fight one another,” he said.
Meanwhile, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo went down the path of history yesterday as he drew from the recorded words of Uthman Dan Fodiyo, the founder of the Sokoto Caliphate, on the need for leaders to stand firm against extremism, injustice and corruption in the country.
Osinbajo recalled the legacy of Dan Fodiyo, who acknowledged that a leader had the responsibility not to be corrupt, but to look after the well-being of his people.
“He wrote and I quote, ‘when you find a man who has the tendency to steal, he is in same class as a monkey,” according to the vice president in statement by his spokesman, Laolu Akande, at the event attended by the Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal and the Emir of Kano, His Highness Muhammad Sanusi, among several other dignitaries.
Osinbajo traced the legacies of past Sultans, their contributions towards promoting justice, jurisprudence and the overall development of the society, and noted that it was gratifying that Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar, the 20th Sultan, took after his forebears.
He noted that his reign had been remarkable given the myriad of challenges which the country had been facing since he ascended the throne, and observed that the Sultan is in good standing both with his people and Nigerians.
“You have led by a string of values and you have worked hard to break parochial barriers. You have developed deep friendship with leaders such as John Cardinal Onaiyekan, Bishop Mathew Kukah, Christian leaders and leaders of all faiths, locally and internationally”, Osinbajo stated.
He congratulated the Sultan for the milestone recorded in the last decade and praised him for “your extended great kindness and generosity to so many, regardless of status, recognising common humanity and frailties of all.”
Before declaring the symposium open, Osinbajo prayed for continuing strength, good health, wisdom and long life for the Sultan.
On his part, Sokoto State governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal described the Sultan as an intellectually-endowed leader whose wise counsel will forever continue to be a roadmap for leaders of generations yet unborn.
Tambuwal further disclosed that the Sultan has remained a source of inspiration to him, hence he will continue to enjoy not only his royal but also moral support.
‘’You are not only a bridge builder, but the bridge itself,’’ Tambuwal said.
Prof Emeritus at the University College, London, who was the keynote speaker, described the Caliphate as an extraordinarily phenomenal institution in Northern Nigeria.
He said, “The Caliphate has strengths which we need to understand, not as political scientists but as Nigerians, for without the caliphate Nigeria might never have existed. It would have been more like Northern Ghana, a Burkina Faso or a Mali. Celebrating the Caliphate and recognising its importance is truly a great pleasure.’’
The chairman of the occasion, Prof Shehu Galadanchi, pioneer Vice Chancellor, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, commended the Sultan for consistently working for peace, unity and development, not just in Nigeria, but in Africa and globally.
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