23rd January, 2020
The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has called on leaders and politicians in the country to protect the interest of the poor and less privileged in the society.
Speaking at the 3rd General Assembly and peace conference with the theme: ”Inter-Religious Dialogue: Strengthening the Culture of Peace, Reconciliation, and Justice,” in Abuja, Sanusi, who represented the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, said that avoiding marginalisation of the less privileged would reduce illiteracy, poverty and social vices.
The monarch advised Nigerians to ensure peaceful co-existence and unity to address various challenges facing them. According to him, each religion should respect the ethics and values of others, whoever takes the life of another man is a criminal and should be punished as a criminal.
He said: ”Christians and Muslims must come together and fight the major challenges facing us which are malnutrition, drug problems, out of school children and poverty amongst many others.”
Sanusi, however, urged Nigerians to recognise, identify and address the internal problems challenging the country, which had led to increased poverty and social vices.
The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Samson Ayokunle, who refused to speak at the conference, stressed that all the previous Interfaith dialogue did not yield any fruit.
Bishop Matthew Kukah of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sokoto stressed that Nigeria must move from talking to taking action and this according to him, was the way out.
Kukah added that there was no place in the world where human beings were slaughtered anyhow without the perpetrators being caught and brought to justice.
He said the country must find a way to end wanton killings of innocent citizens, adding that it was time for religious leaders to step aside and allow Nigerians to confront the government themselves.