The Nigerian government has reiterated its commitment to give necessary support to religious and traditional leaders to promote peace and unity in the country.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha stated this at the 2021, 3rd quarter meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council, NIREC, with the theme “making Nigerians Healthy to Achieve Peaceful Society” in Abuja, the Nation’s capital.
Mr. Mustapha who said President Muhammadu Buhari is worried about the level of insecurity in the country called on the religious and traditional leaders to use their various platforms to bring peace to the country.
“The theme of this quarters, which is making Nigerians Healthy to achieve a peaceful society” couldn’t have come at a better time because we need to be healthy to achieve a peaceful society indeed. As the Chairman Presidential Steering Committee on Covid-19, I think I am qualified to talk about some aspects of the health requirements of Nigeria. Achieving a healthy society goes beyond just health, as health on its own cannot be considered as the presence or absence.
Your eminences distinguished guest ladies and gentlemen, the situation in Nigeria today calls for the deepening of political and religious collaboration at all times, as a body we must continue to build an environment where prejudice intolerance, violence and other vices will remain alien to our culture and practices. We must continue to live together and pursue the common good as a community.
Addressing Insecurity
On his part, the co-Chairman of NIREC and the President General Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar the III has called on Nigerian Government to be proactive in tackling the insecurity ravaging the country.
The sultan commended security operatives for their efforts so far and said the nation needs “proactive intelligence agencies that will think ahead of anybody, any criminal trying to do something” cynical and disrupt the peace should be apprehended.
“Things are not getting better I have said it and will say it again and again until we see that yes; things are getting better. I wondered how the marauders could remain unknown when the nation has various intelligence agencies.
He said the security situation in the country is worsening therefore President Muhammadu Buhari, should convey a dialogue meeting to discuss ways of bringing unity and peace to the society.
“Why are we afraid of talking to one another? What dialogue cannot solve, violence will never solve. There must be a time to rise up and go beyond ethnic and religious sentiments and sit down and talk to one another in the most honest way and tell ourselves the truth. What is really happening in this country is not right and this is how we should go if we really want to have a country. The presidency must lead the way, reach out to people, sit down and talk to one another because I have seen the goodwill of the people of this country towards one another.”
The sultan urged the military and the police not to spare any religious leader that comes out to the public domain to make bad comments that can raise tensions in the country.
“All these people calling for such activities must be identified and our security agencies must up their game and take action against them. “Whether it is a religious leader, ethnic leader or traditional leader, he must be made to face the law, because there is nobody who is above the law.
On his part, his counterpart the President of Christian Association of Nigeria CAN Reverend Samson Ayokunle who also condemned the level of insecurity in the country urged the Nigerian government to take the issues of security more seriously.
Reverend Ayokunle also challenged the government to arrest and prosecute anyone making decisive comments to serve as deterrence to others.
Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong said the meeting is coming at a time the country is struggling with serious insecurity challenges therefore charged Nigerians to engage in crime prevention and crisis management. He also called on religious leaders to stop giving criminality a religious or ethnic coloration.
While we blame lack of equipment, adequate funding, low manpower, overstretched personnel, proper training among others for the inability of our forces to quickly overcome the level of insecurity, we must also look at other factors such as the role of citizens and engagement in crime prevention and crisis management. The situation where crimes are giving religious, political, or ethnic coloration rather than total condemnation is very worrisome, sometimes criminals find it easy to simply shield themselves within this cover and either escape or be emboldened to commit more crimes. He said
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