The Sultan of Sokoto and co-Chair of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, and the Minister of Defence, retired Maj.-Gen. Bashir Magashi have separately assured Nigerians that there will be no war in this country again and every part of the nation will soon experience peace despite agitations for disintegration from different quarters.
The Sultan, who spoke at the Second Quarterly Meeting of NIREC in Abuja, on Wednesday, said he would always advocate for dialogue as a way to achieve peace.
“People have been talking about war; there will no war in Nigeria, who is going to fight who? In families we have Christians and Muslims, you have ethnic nationalities in your country, you have inter-married.
“So, all this noise people are making is trying to draw attention to what they can get out of this country and if you look at them, they are in the minority.
“In this country, there are excellent people that mean well for the common man and humanity and that is what God created us to do,” he said.
The Sultan said he remains a believer in dialogue which his religion has always advocated.
“So, let’s continue to work together, let’s continue to sit together, let’s continue to dialogue, I am a total believer in dialogue and nothing will change my mind because my religion teaches me to always dialogue.
“And I believe no problem is too big to be resolved when we sit down and talk, because even wars are fought to bring peace but if you know you can bring peace without fighting war, then why do you have to take up arms?
“Peace is the most important aspect of our lives because without peace we cannot even worship,” he said.
Abubakar, however, acknowledged that things were bad in the country, as insecurity had adversely affected the country’s growth.
“It is a very trying time for our country Nigeria for so many reasons, most notably insecurity which does not allow anybody to do what he or she wants and at the time and place he or she wants.
“That’s why we are very worried with the way things are in our Great country at this time, because things are really very stressful and there is no doubt about it, and you don’t have to tell anybody things are bad.”
The President of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Samson Ayokunle said insecurity had paralysed activities across the country.
Ayokunle, who is also the Co-chairman of NIREC, noted that food security had been threatened as farmers were being killed by bandits in their farms.
“Many things are not right with the nation, the most challenging one today being insecurity which has almost paralysed all human activities apart from the havoc the restrictive COVID-19 brought.
“Farmers are threatened on their farms while some have been killed while farming. The result of attacks on farmers is scarcity of farm products which will lead to famine if care is not taken by those in authority.
“To travel short distances today calls for serious prayers and traveling with perhaps security personnel because of kidnapping for ransom, ritual killing, armed robbery, insurgents attack, banditry and other forms of violence.
While expressing worry over the daily killings of innocent citizens, Ayokunle called on religious leaders to unite and speak against the deplorable state of the nation.
He cautioned that breaking up the country may not solve the problem, but the government should be proactive in addressing issues that caused the agitations.
The CAN President also called for more funding of security forces and close monitoring of how the funds were being spent.
“Intelligence gathering, which we have been shouting about as panacea to the activities of the criminals and in order to identify where these criminals, has never been taken seriously by the government, both federal and state.
“For religious leaders, this is the time for us to unite and speak in unison against all these evils before being wiped away by criminals.
“The daily bloodshed is worrisome and must stop, while we commend our security forces for doing their best, we urge the government to fund them better and monitor the utilization of such funds so that it might be spent on what it is released for.
“Breaking the nation into fragments may not be the answer, however, proactiveness of those in power to prevent the causes of agitation for secession is the right step to keep the nation as one,” he added.
The Secretary to the government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha said the level of insecurity in Nigeria was so high that religious and traditional rulers must assist the government to tackle it.
Mustapha, who was represented by the Permanent Security, office of the SGF, Morris Mbaeri, said: “In every ethnic group, there are good people and there are criminal elements.
“While the leaders in each ethnic group should caution their children, religious leaders should publicly reject the ideology of those who claim to be killing in the name of religion by giving a counter narrative.”
He charged NIREC to go beyond statutory meetings to assisting government with useful information, “because security is the concern of everybody, no matter where you come from and the religion you practice,” he said.
Similarly, Magashi, while declaring open the Nigerian Air Force Celebration 2021 seminar as part of the lowkey activities line up for NAF @57 2021 celebration promised that every part of the country will soon experience peace in spite of the security challenges facing the country.
He said that the current leadership of the Armed Forces had put in place modalities that would soon end the ongoing acts of terrorism and insurgency in the country.
Represented by the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor, the Minister said that the Nigerian Armed Forces had discharged their duties and responsibilities creditably and were undoubtedly among the best in Africa.
“I want to assure you that the war on terrorism and insurgency will be won. There shall be peace in Nigeria again. Every part of the country will experience and enjoy peace,’’ he said.
He said that the military had played very critical role in the security architecture of the country and had continued to ensure the country’s stability, peace and unity over the years.
“It is a well-known fact that the military is a critical part of the security architecture required to ensure stability that engenders holistic national development.
“Therefore, I enjoin you all to do your utmost to ensure that we emerge from the present challenges threatening our corporate unity.
“I know that we have an Armed Force that has an inherent capacity to protect our interests, deter conflict and reassure our people and allies.
“You must, therefore, remain undoubting in your commitment to duty, while leveraging the cohesion for which the military is reputed for,” he said.
The Minister commended the Armed Forces for their unending loyalty and commitment to defending the country’s Constitution, ensuring peace and unity among the citizenry.
“I must also commend members of the Armed Forces for their loyalty and commitment to defending the Nation’s Constitution, curtailing the spate of internal uprising and keeping the peace in the Country.
“We must not leave any stone unturned while ensuring that our collective resolve, as a people, to live in peace and harmony is not compromised.
“Therefore, I charge all defence stakeholders in the country to be more dedicated and vigilant, taking due cognisance of the adverse impact of security challenges on national development and economic growth.
“Your statutory tasks and innovative contributions in your different spheres of responsibility will remain central to our envisioned strong world-class military and our nation’s future.”
Magashi said that Nigerians must continue to have faith in those that have sacrificed time, energy, and sometimes their families for the peace of the nation.
“Therefore, as a nation, we must continue to keep faith with those of you that have sacrificed time, energy, and sometimes your families to ensure that our dear country attains its goals.
“Let me remind all of you that there is nothing greater than selfless service, especially in our commitment to one another and indeed to the service of our great Nation.
“The Ministry of Defence, on its part, will continue to make concerted efforts to ensure that the Armed Forces of Nigeria are adequately equipped to effectively carry out their constitutional roles.
“We will ensure the provision of administrative and support services to ensure effective manner to enable the Armed Forces build and maintain modern and mission-ready forces for the defence of the country,’’ he said.
He said that NAF would continually justify its establishment by complementing the roles of other services, thereby becoming a key player in the air power equation in the West African sub-region.
Magashi also commended the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, for overseeing a low key NAF @ 57 celebration in line with the Federal Government directives as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his continuous moral and financial support for the Armed Forces for effective operations.
Earlier, Air Marshal Amao said that NAF had recorded many laudable achievements and made significant contributions to the development of the country in her 57 years of existence.
Amao disclosed that the theme of the NAF @ 57 celebrations “Enhancing Nigerian Air Force Airpower Capabilities for Effective Joint Operations” was deliberate.
He said that the theme was aimed at focusing on how to effectively and efficiently conduct joint operations to end security challenges in the country.
“The specific objective of this seminar, therefore, is for us to critically reflect on our operations over the years while taking stock of our achievements and challenges.
“It is with a view to charting a way forward in delivering critical airpower capabilities in support of sister services and other security agencies conducting operations across the country,” he said.
The Chief of Air Staff further assured Nigerians of their unflinching commitment and determination to ensure that a secured, united and prosperous Nigeria was guaranteed.
He said that the NAF under his leadership would continue to bolster the morale of personnel by constantly improving their welfare.
He announced that the service would on Thursday induct the newly acquired JF-17 Thunder Multirole Aircraft into the inventory of the Nigerian Air Force.