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Tag: Sultan of Sokoto

  • Sultan: stop using children as thugs

    The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, has warned politicians against using children as thugs.

    He described the act as inimical to the upbringing of children, who are future leaders.

    Speaking yesterday in Sokoto while hosting the newly-elected State Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the monarch said politicians who give money and drugs to children were doing themselves and the society great harm.

    He said such children have every tendency of turning against those politicians, adding: “This will happen after the elections and often makes governance difficult for them.”

    The Sultan urged politicians to accord priority to promoting peace, unity and socio-economic growth in the country.

    He said: “All of us are yearning for free, fair and acceptable polls in 2015 and beyond. Leaders should also pay attention to the upliftment of the welfare, comfort and security of Nigerians.”

    Abubakar said the Sultanate Council was founded based on the principles of honesty, accountability and social justice, hence guarantees free and accessible policy for the benefit of all, including political parties.

    “Our doors are open to all of you and we will continue to pray fervently for sustainable democracy, peace and unity in Nigeria,” he added.

    The state PDP Chairman, Alhaji Ibrahim Milgoma, said the visit was to seek the Sultan’s prayers, support and advice.

    Milgoma said PDP members would continue to be law abiding and patriotic.

  • PHOTO: Interfaith conference in Abuja

    PHOTO: Interfaith conference in Abuja

  • Military-Shiite clash: Sultan calls for investigation

    Military-Shiite clash: Sultan calls for investigation

    CONCERNED over the recent Zaria Military-Shi’ite sect members clash resulting in deaths and score of others injured, Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III has called  for a full-scale investigation into the occurence.

    He also decried the recent clash between the military and the Police in Zuru, saying,” three innocent lives were also lost.”

    No fewer than forty persons were said to have been killed  during the incident after the military attack on the sect members on peaceful protest in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

    Sultan Abubakar spoke over the weekend in Sokoto  at a dinner he organized for the members of the Alumni Association of the Nigerian Defence Academy, 18 Regular Course, 1975.

    ” Whoever is found to be wanting should be properly punished in line with the laws of the country.

    ” Some people commit offence with impunity and unless we punish offenders according to the laws of the land, such problems will continue to recur.

    ” We must obey the laws of the land and the authorities must rise to the challenge,” he added.

    According to the monarch, there would be no country when there are no laws or were being trampled upon.

    Referring to the incident between the military and the Police in Zuru, Abubakar lamented that clashes between the military and para-military, especially the Police, as well as civilians were becoming too frequent in the nation.

    He noted that such clashes were not new but said” it is getting worse now and it does not augur well for the nation.”

    He stressed the need for the military to always respect the rules of engagement and the need for minimum use of force while on duty
    .
    The Sultan also underscored the need for social justice in all the affairs of the country, adding that “Justice is the foundation of any good governance and there will be no peace if there is no justice.”

    ” We also need more truth-fullness, honesty and transparency in Nigeria. If we are not truthful with one another we can never have solutions to our problems,” he stated.

    The duo of former CDS and former COAS, retired Generals Samuel Ogumudiya and Azuibuke Ihejirika, respectively commended the Sultan for the gesture.

    ” We promise to continue to do our best to ensure the safety of lives and property, as well as the socio-economic prosperity of Nigeria,” they assured.

  • Insecurity will end soon, says Sultan of Sokoto

    Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III has assured  that the current insecurity situation in the country will soon be over.
    He made the remark  while speaking with State House correspondents  after presenting the 2013 Hajj report to President Goodluck Jonathan.
    Besides submitting the report, he said that he also had discussions with the President on security issues in the country.
    He said: “We also took time to rub minds on some few security issues affecting Nigeria. We heard from Mr. President and he also heard from us. Insha Allah, Nigeria will be better for it very soon.”
    On the Hajj report, he said: “At the end of each Hajj operation of each particular year, the Amir Hajj delegation submits its report to
    the President highlighting what really transpired, what are the challenges and what we feel Mr. President should do to make Hajj
    operations in Nigeria better.”
    “So this morning, we submitted our report to the President and highlighted areas of achievements and also some few areas which we feel the government should still come in.”
    “We also commended Mr. President for the support he has been giving to Hajj operations in Nigeria and I think you are all aware of the significant leap we have in terms of preparing and conducting Hajj operations in Nigeria. Much better than what it used to be.”
    “The President assured us of the government’s continued total support for Hajj operations in this country.” he said

  • Insurgency: Sultan calls for continuous prayers

    Insurgency: Sultan calls for continuous prayers

    The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, has called for continuous prayers for peace, unity and development in the country.

    Abubakar made the call during a national preaching session organised by an Islamic group, the Jama’tu Izalatul Bidi’a Waikamatus Sunna (JIBWIS) in Kano on Sunday.

    Represented by Alhaji Garba Tambari, Emir of Maradun in Zamfara, the Sultan decried the security challenges be-devilling the North, especially the North-Eastern part of the country.

    He said: “as traditional rulers, we have since called for continuous prayers against the insecurity that is gradually taking over some parts of the North.’’

    According to him, the prayers are necessary in order to ensure peace, unity and development in the country.

    Earlier, in his remarks, the National Chairman of the Izala Islamic group, Sheik Sani Jingir, called for collaborative efforts in the fight against insurgency.

    “The fight against insurgency should be a collaborative one, especially among Muslim and Christian communities,’’ he said.

    Jingir expressed concern over the senseless killing of innocent persons in the country, and called on the government to do something urgently in order to check the ugly trend.

    “One cannot understand why human lives now become so valueless while those who are responsible for the protection of such lives seem to have failed in their responsibility.

    “For the fact that lives have become so vulnerable while the insurgents kill at will, there is urgent need for coming together of the adherents of the two religions to rise against the perpetrators of the dastardly acts.

    According to him, the activities of the Boko Haram are aimed at giving Islam a bad name so that Muslims will be the target of harassment, undue treatment and unnecessary persecution.

    “We are aware that some powerful ungodly minds are behind the activities of the Boko Haram, in an effort to tarnish the beautiful names of Islam and its followers,’’ he said.

    The chairman called for the establishment of a joint vigilance groups in all parts of the country to ensure peaceful coexistence.

  • Sultan urges striking workers to return to work

    Sultan urges striking workers to return to work

    The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, on Tuesday urged striking workers to call off their strikes and go back to the negotiating table.

    Abubakar made the call as part of his Eid el-Kabir message to the Muslim faithful.

    “We wish to use this opportunity to call on all those on strike, especially university academic and non-academic staff to call off their strikes so as to reduce the sufferings of the people.

    “And they should go back to the negotiating table in order to bring an end to the crisis.

    “This is a problem in the development of the country. We urged the government to listen to the complaints of the workers with the intention of solving them.

    “The workers on their part should always be mindful of the suffering of the teeming populace in the country,” he said.

    Abubakar maintained that the strike by the University lecturers now in its fourth month had caused a lot of hardships to the students and their parents.

    “The strike of medical workers has on its part, caused loss of many lives and untold hardship to the sick who cannot afford going to private clinics,” Abubakar said.

    He also expressed concern with the insecurity in the country, saying: “It is a matter of great concern.”

    The Sultan appealed to all Muslims to live peacefully and avoid all acts of violence.

    “We wish to call on the politicians, especially those holding executive positions, to help in ensuring the security of this country,’’ he said.

    Abubakar also urged the politicians to find lasting solution to the security situation and improve the lot of the people who elected them.

    He further called on the governments at all levels to empower the youths through proper moral education and provision of employment opportunities.

    “This will enhance the security situation and bring the desired peace in this country,” Abubakar said.

     

     

  • October 15 is Eid-el-Kabir

    October 15 has been declared as Eid-el-Kabir by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar.

    A statement issued in Sokoto on Sunday  by Prof. Sambo Wali, the Chairman of Sokoto Sultanate Advisory Committee on Religious Affairs, said the announcement  followed the sighting of the crescent from across the country on Saturday.

    “This is sequel to the declaration of Sunday, Oct. 6, 2013, as the first day of Zul-Hijja, 1434 AH, by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, ”  he stated.

  • Sultan advocates sustainable peace in Nigeria

    The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, on Thursday advocated for sustainable peace in Nigeria and its universities.

    Abubakar made the remark when, Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha, the Vice Chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, visited him in Sokoto.
    According to him, sustainable peace is very crucial to realisation of Nigeria’s scientific, technological and socio-economic development.
    “Without peace, there won’t be any chance for development, and this will be disastrous for Nigeria and the world,’’ the sultan said.
    The sultan also said that a tranquil of peace in the universities and other institutions would impact positively on the training of quality manpower for the nation.
    “If this is not ensured, the opposite will be the case and the county would continue to lag behind.’’
    Mustapha, in his speech, told the Sultan that the visit was aimed at congratulating the monarch on his 57th birthday. “We are here to pay our respect to you as our chancellor and a committed leader whose penchant for sustainable peace and unity in Nigeria is unparalleled,’’ Mustapha said.
     
  • Many things are wrong with Nigeria, says Sultan

    Many things are wrong with Nigeria, says Sultan

    The Sultan of Sokoto and President General of the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), Alhaji Mohammad Sa’ad Abubakar said on Sunday the country has stagnated because leaders have refused to allow things to work.

    The Sultan spoke just as the Kaduna state governor, Mukthar Ramalan Yero admonished Islamic scholars to refrain from using the Muslim holy month of Ramadan to cast aspersions on people without proper investigations.

    Speaking at a national conference on the role of Muslim Scholars in fostering unity, peace and security in Nigeria organized by Jama’at Nasril Islam (JNI) in Kaduna, the Sultan said that the nation cannot move forward when leaders are made to believe that they are always right.

    “We cannot move forward when we tell a leader he is always right. No leader is ever right in this circumstance. So many things have gone wrong in this country, and they are still going wrong. So many things are not working because the leaders refused to allow them to work”.

    While noting that the Muslim world was facing  daunting challenge, the Sultan said  “we are very aware just like any other people across the world of the challenges facing us as Muslims, not only in Nigeria; we believe somebody somewhere is pulling the string”.

    The Sultan who is also the Co-Chairman of the Nigeria Inter-religious Council also said “we will not allow anybody to stop us from being Muslims because that is what God brought to us and that is what we chose to be, we will not allow anybody to turn our lives upside down, and whatever anybody does that affects Islam and Muslims.”

    He expressed concern over the level of disunity among Muslims saying “if there is unity among Muslims, there will be peace, and if there is peace, there will be development and progress in our country and there will be total security in Nigeria.

    “If there is security, definitely, there will be development. What is happening in the Northern part of the country is an unfortunate incident which has been forced on us, may be for so many reasons, may be the Almighty Allah (God) wants to correct our ways.

    “I believe it is high time all of us come together and discuss those things that have been pestering our lives as Muslims in this country. I want to state here that our main problems have been lack of unity, lack of consensus in whatever we do, and of course, viz-a-viz so poor in our lives as Muslims in this country.

    “We are begging Allah for constant prayers from all of you, you are all distinguished Ulamas, we need constant prayers from the downtrodden to any other person, we shall overcome all these challenges and move to greater heights by the special grace of God.

    “We are committed to ensuring justice in whatever we do, we are committed to ensuring that whichever leaders God Almighty blessed on us to do what is right, and we must tell them when they go wrong”.

    While lamenting the failure of leadership in the country to provide purposive leadership, he said “as Muslim leaders, we know what the holy Koran said about leadership, we know how our noble leader lived his life which we are all striving to copy in the minutest way, and I believe totally that if we imbibe the virtues of the holy Koran and the virtues of our noble leader, nobody will go wrong.

    “I believe it is high time we put aside so many differences in understanding of Islam, put aside so called promise of big manism, put aside hatred that permeated people’s heart, and put aside personal interest. Put Islam above all, and if you do so, we will find the end of all the problems facing us that we will enable all of us to observe our religious obligations and duties in a peaceful manner.

    “We refuse to accept time without number whenever any violence take place anywhere in the world, if committed by a Muslim, you will hear Islamic terrorist, or Muslim terrorist or Islamic fundamentalist. But when worst violence is perpetrated by somebody who is not a Muslim, we don’t hear the same coinage, or the same factionalization of the same criminal activity linking it to that particular religion.

    “And we believe so many criminal activities have taken place in the name of so many other religion, but Islam has been singled out and it is a challenge for us to wake up, stand together, stretching our hands of unity and face such problem squarely. We can only do that if we put aside our personal differences.

    “I don’t want to talk so much, but I really have so much in mind on such issues, but suffice to say, today we have an opportunity to bare our minds to the President, Commander-In- Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria who set up a committee to look into insurgency activities particularly in the North.

    “I believe that committee should also look at other things that are happening in other parts of the country. But this is the first step.  Let us stabilize north in particular, then move to other places, ” the Sultan stated.

  • Islam is anti-terrorism say Sultan, Aregbesola

    Islam is anti-terrorism say Sultan, Aregbesola

    Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State and the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar say Islam is against terrorism, and want those using the religion to perpetrate heinous crimes treated not as Muslims but common criminals.

    While the governor insists that a true Muslim must not be a promoter of conflict, contradiction or crisis, the Sultan maintains that Islam will, for ever, remain a religion of peace and development.

    They both spoke in Osogbo at the weekend at a dinner organised in honour of the Sultan by the Osun State Government.

    The Sultan was delighted at the governor’s achievements and what he called his ability to carry every resident of the state along irrespective of religion and ethnicity.

    He stressed that no Nigerian should be treated or regarded as a settler in any part of the country, adding that everyone should be able to find home wherever he chooses to live in.

    He said the Osun government has openly demonstrated this by allowing and treating natives and non-natives in the state as equal, which is what the entire nation needs to be able to guarantee peaceful co-habitation among all groups, ethnicity and religions.

    He said that terrorists, wherever they are found, must therefore answer personally for their crimes by being treated as common criminals that they are.

    He said: “Those who claim to be doing what they are doing in terms of terrorism in the name of Islam are on their own. They are not doing anything for Islam or Muslims but for themselves. Nothing more, nothing less! And that is why when I hear people refer to these terrorists as Islamic terrorists, I always feel bad. I have said it so many times that Islam does not approve terrorism or the taking of anybody’s life.”

    Aregbesola said a Muslim, who promotes chaos and disharmony has deviated from the teachings of Islam and a good Muslim is required to exemplify the best in conduct through accommodation, tolerance and forbearance for him to be called a good Muslim.

    His words: “Any Muslim that promotes conflict, contradiction and crisis is a heretic. I should not use that word because it is wrong to say that somebody is not a Muslim. But I want to say without equivocation that a Muslim that promotes hatred, bitterness and discord is very far from Islam.”