Sultan Of Sokoto Charges Political Leaders To Be Just, Fair In Their Doings
BY Chima Azubuike, Gombe
Sultan of Sokoto, Alh. Mohammed Sa’ad Abubakar lll, has charged political leaders to be just and fair in whatever they do.
According to Abubakar, there is no point for anyone to clamour for leadership role when such person cannot be just and fair to people.
The Sultan made this disclosure in his address on Thursday, during a courtesy visit to Gombe State governor, Muhammadu Yahaya at the Government House, Gombe.
The Sultan, who is in the state for the 3rd National Summit of Peaceful Co-existence and Nation building with the theme ‘Peaceful Co-existence Social Cohesion and National Development’, equally urged leaders to take criticism that is against their interest in good faith
Abubakar stressed that there is no perfect human beings, adding that the role of traditional rulers is to advise, encourage and criticise when necessary.
He said, “And we will continue to advise you our political leaders to be just, to do right.
“For those who don’t know how me and the governor have been, for so many years today I have told you, so if you have anything to tell me about, what he is doing right do so, or you think he is doing wrong whisper it to me and I will work on that because no human-being is perfect, we most condole our leaders and advise them always.
“And leaders know that they have a lot of responsibilities on them, to lead right, to be just in whatever they do, to take everybody as their own because God gave them the leadership not because they are the best, but because he deems it fit to give to that person, he wants at the time he wants and he will take it away from him or her at the time he wants without even giving you a warning.
“So, I don’t know why we are all clamoring for position, when we know that it in just few seconds Allah can take you away from that seat, from the world entirely. So we must always fear Allah in whatever we do, we must always try to do just and be right.
“So, we always admonish our leaders, we are partners in progress, we are not competitors, we don’t compete with political leaders, it is very big relationship the almighty Allah has created, we are one big family. I want everybody to see it as that and we make comments please take it in good faith.
“We must work hard to tackle this insecurity, tackle hunger, tackle poverty and all the negative things afflicting our great country, we have problems, yes, we know we have problems and I have said it before that things are not just normal and right in this country but we can make things normal and right by Allah’s wish, so we have to work hard, we will continue to do that.”
The royal father noted that the annual conference of Islamic affairs, “is to showcase the good aspect of Islam in promoting harmony, peaceful co-existence and leadership qualities of the forefathers which was personified by three hundred and thirty books on leadership written previous Sultans of Sokoto written over two hundred years ago.”
He advised governors in the country who were elected by the electorate, to ensure that they tackle vehemently insecurity, poverty, as well as building sound infrastructural facilities within their period of governance.
The Sultan however noted the annual Islamic Conference Affairs, is rotational simply to carry out the message of peace, stability, peaceful co-existence, as a message of Islam to Muslims and other believers in the country.
“We are in Gombe for the annual DCCN conference, that is the Da’awah Coordination Council of Nigeria, an amalgamation of almost 52 Da’awah groups across the country of which our Sadaukin Sokoto is the national president. And we use to rotate, I encourage them to do the rotation, today the government, the good and even the bad people of Gombe state are hosting us for these 2 days program,” Abubakar added.
On his part, Gombe State governor, Yahaya told the Sultan that his administration carries ev
erybody along irrespective of ethnic, religion and political affiliations.
The governor also told the royal father that he has a sound, mutual and benefiting relationship with all traditional institutions in the state.
According to Yahaya, “the relationship has been helping us to record tremendous achievements, tranquility, harmony and peace being witnessed in the state.”
The governor appreciated the Sultan visit to Gombe, adding that the visit is as a result of relationship between them that have spanned over forty years.
