The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Mohammed Sa’ad Abubakar III, says Nigeria is drifting away from the normality, while food scarcity is contributing to insecurity.
The Sultan said this on Thursday at the third National Summit of Peaceful Co-existence and Nation building, with the theme, ‘Peaceful Co-existence Social Cohesion and National Development,’ organised by Da’wah Coordination Council of Nigeria, in Gombe.
“The problems of Nigeria are mounting up daily, let’s not deceive ourselves that things are getting better, things are not getting better at all,” he said.
“What we lack in this country is the sincerity and honesty to implement the solutions because no religion has asked anybody to kill somebody. Terrorism, banditry, kidnapping are thriving businesses in this country now and people can’t move freely.
“So many people are hungry because they can’t afford food prices which keeps going high…Ensure adequate food supply because of the common man.
“Without food, you can’t have peace, without peace, you can’t have security, without security you can’t have development, and without development you are just a bunch of people sitting down together. Therefore, we must rise up to the occasion, whatever it will cost. A hungry man is an angry man.”
The Archbishop of Abuja Diocese, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, who was represented at the event by Rev. Father Joseph Shinga said, “Nigeria is going through turbulent times; in terms of social integration and cohesion. Suspicion here and there, religious bigotry and sentiments are on the rise. We need to co-exist in peace.”
The Gombe State Governor Muhammadu Yahaya, who agreed with the Sultan, said leadership failure was responsible for insecurity in the country.
“The ordinary man too has his own problem; the problem will be there until we tell ourselves the brutal truth and face it head on in order to solve the problem,” he said.
Earlier, during a courtesy visit to the Gombe State governor at the Government House, the Sultan charged political leaders to be fair and just in whatever they do.
He said the annual Islamic conference was meant to bring out the message of peace, stability, peaceful co-existence to Muslims and other believers in the country.
