The Sultan of Sokoto, who is also the President-General Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), and co-chair of the Nigeria Inter Religious Council (NIREC), His Eminence Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, has advised Nigerians not to relent in praying for the country in the face of the present challenges.
Speaking Tuesday in Abuja during the 2024 fourth quarterly meeting of NIREC, with the theme: “Our natural resources and insecurity in Nigeria”, the Sultan said Nigerians have a lot to contribute to peace and stability of the country and that there is need for both Christians and Muslims to turn to God to ameliorate their sufferings.
He said: “We pray that the 2024 that have just gone by, because we only have some few weeks, will be part of our history. Whatever we have gone through, let’s learn from history and move forward. We pray that 2025 will be a much better year, full of prosperity, with peace and stability in our great country.
“As usual, I want to stand by what the Co-Chairman and the Executive Secretary have said, because I totally agree with all they said in their opening remarks. So, I don’t want to sound like a broken record by repeating what I have said in the past years about insecurity, about development, about whatever is good for our country and whatever is bad for our country. That’s why I adopt the words of the Executive Secretary and co-chair here. They will be enough to make us go into discussions later on.
“And I believe we still have a lot to contribute to the peace and stability of our great country. We, you know what everybody is going through. We know it’s not easy, but Almighty Allah will make things easy, no matter what hardship anybody is going through. Things will be better. Let’s continue praying and believing that the Almighty, who brought us into the world, will never allow us to suffer. If you see anybody suffering, he made it himself.
“What you need to do is to go back to God, back to our various worship places. Pray for our leaders, pray for our country, and be good, because you can’t pray and you’ll continue to be bad. I think God will accept your prayers. We have changed our habits. We have changed our side. We have to change all the bad things in our heads, in our mind, and continue to believe that, yes, Almighty Allah is never wrong in bringing us together. He does what he wants to do at what time he wants, and to everybody, to anybody at the time he wants.”
Speaking on the vanity of life, the monarch said: “Let’s continue believing in our Creator who brought us into this world. Let’s continue praying to him to right all the wrong by making us do the needful, because we have to change our habits.
“He is the sole owner of everything in this world, no matter what you think you have, various mansions, story, buildings, beautiful cars, everything, they are just there. They don’t belong to you. They are not yours because you will leave them here and go and meet your maker. Let’s take this as a lesson. Let’s continue reminding ourselves, no matter what you want in this world, it does not belong to you. You are only given just for you to use it for a little time and leave it.
“The final one where you will be eternally is there when you meet your maker. You should be doing good things here, so that when you do meet your maker, you’ll be happy with you there. Yes, you have done a lot of positive things, very good things. You didn’t go against the rules and regulations of what he said in his holy book, and then he will admit you into eternal peace. That’s what we should all be doing, let’s try to be our brother’s keepers, let’s try to help one another.
“If you have 1 million bags of rice, you can only eat some few grains at a time. Share to the people that you think they need, especially in your neighbourhood. Don’t hold everything, no matter the amount of money you have. Please dole it out. Dole it out to the needy, because when you go around, honestly, you will see people in need.
“That’s why, in Islam we have this Zakat, so that those who have so much will take a portion and give the needy. And I know also in the Christian circle, it’s the same. So as leaders, let’s continue talking to ourselves. Let’s see what we can do to help this country. This is December, the last month of the year. We pray to Almighty Allah to guide us and bring peace and stability to our great country in Nigeria.”
…CAN on equitable distribution of wealth
Also speaking, President Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) His Eminence, Archbishop (Dr) Daniel C. Okoh said religious leaders must continue to advocate for the right values in governance as embedded in both the Holy Bible and the Qur’an.
He said: “It is always fascinating and very encouraging to me to see highly respected traditional and religious leaders from various states of our federation gathered to discuss issues relating to development, nation-building and peaceful co-existence of all tribes and religions in our country.
“We gathered today not only as leaders of our respective faiths, but as major stakeholders in our nation who are deeply interested in the well-being of Nigeria and its people. Our theme today addresses one of the most pressing challenges facing our nation today—where the abundance of our natural wealth, unfortunately, connects with the growing tide of insecurity in the land.
“Nigeria is blessed with abundant natural resources, from oil and gas to solid minerals and arable land. These resources have the potentials to serve as a powerful engine for our national development – creating jobs, alleviating poverty, and improving the quality of life for all Nigerians. However, the reality we face is starkly different. Instead of being a blessing, our natural resources have, in many instances, become a source of conflict and insecurity.
“The mode of exploitation and greed in managing these resources have often led to strife, not only between different ethnic and regional groups but also within communities that vie for control over these resources. The resulting insecurity has had devastating effects on our social fabric, leading to displacement, loss of lives, and a pervasive sense of fear among our citizens.”
…Solid minerals not only cause of insecurity- Akume
Speaking earlier, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, had dismissed the notion that solid minerals was the only cause of the nation’s insecurity.
He said: “This being the last meeting for the year, it is absolutely apt to discuss the theme of this meeting. It is also credible that this dialogue would be with people of your calibre who are passionate about Nigeria and dedicated to dialogue with the aim of understanding and addressing the complex interplay between our natural resources and the challenges we face.
“Let us reflect on the critical importance of sustainable management of our natural resources. Nigeria is rich in natural resources, including oil, natural gas and solid minerals. However, the country is also facing insecurity challenges that impact with negative effects on economy and development. The continued depletion of these resources not only threaten our environment but also exacerbates social and economic insecurities. I encourage the collaboration of the religious leaders to share their perspective and explore the synergies that can merge from collective knowledge, forge pathways that enhance resilience, promote sustainability and build a more secure world for all of us.
“I implore us to implement stable policies, structural changes, and effective governance that can help address bunkering in the Niger Delta and reduce banditry in mineral-rich northern states. Strengthening Institutions and Governance and improving transparency and oversight in natural resource management will deter corruption and illegal activities. With stronger institutions, more consistent monitoring can curb oil bunkering and resource-related violence, especially with proactive enforcement and compliance penalties.
“Establishing clear policies for resource management and consistent policies across administrations can streamline efforts to secure resources, establish clear rights and responsibilities, and discourage opportunistic exploitation of minerals. Engaging communities in managing and benefiting from local resources can build trust and reduce the appeal of illegal activities. Community-focused policies that involve local stakeholders in development plans and profit-sharing can discourage illegal bunkering and banditry by creating vested interests in legal resource management. It is also to be noted that the Solid Minerals Development Fund SMDF has been established towards assisting in funding oil exploration in Nigeria.”
“All hands must be on deck to enhance security, both in oil-rich regions and mining areas to limit bunkering and protect mining communities from bandit attacks. Increased security presence, use of surveillance technology, and local community policing can reduce criminal activities in these regions.
“Even though the country is going through some challenges, I pray that the poverty and hunger of the citizens will not tempt Nigerians to embrace corruption, bunkering, banditry, terrorism, armed robbery, kidnapping and ritual killing for any reason. Nigeria’s natural resources hold tremendous potential, but realizing their full potential requires addressing policy inefficiencies, stabilizing governance structures, strengthening educational systems, and integrating vocational training into the curriculum to reduce poverty,” Akume further added.