The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammed Sa’ad Abubakar III, on Saturday urged Nigerians to de-emphasise religious and ethnic differences and work together for the development of the country.
The Sultan made the commendation at the inauguration of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Darul’Ilm Centre for Islamic Studies in Kaduna.
The facility was built and donated to the Danbushiya community by the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Tosin Ajayi.
Sultan Abubakar said the problems facing Nigerians are surmountable if Nigerians work together.
“The coming together of people of different faiths and ethnicities will help bridge the gaps of disunity and de-emphasise the problems of this country.
“We believe in our country, we believe in our ability to surmount all problems. When you have challenges and you overcome those challenges, they make you move forward. We are going through difficult times in this country, but we are not the only ones.
There are so many countries going through difficult times, but we believe that there are no problems that cannot be surmounted…” he said
Speaking further, the Sultan said continuous interaction among Nigerians would reduce the problems of religious differences to the barest minimum.
He said: “The coming together of people of different faiths and ethnicities will help bridge the gaps of disunity and de-emphasize the problems of this country.
The monarch noted that the ability of other nations to overcome their differences was responsible for their economic development and greatness.
Sultan Abubakar also commended President Bola Tinubu for promoting religious tolerance in Nigeria, adding that the president’s effort was responsible for the economic gains recorded across the country.
He also hailed the president for appointing Ajayi as the DG of the DSS, stressing that the appointment has helped the president build several bridges of cooperation across the country.
The monarch said the decision of Ajayi, “a Christian,” to build an Islamic school for orphans and the less privileged, was an enduring legacy that would be remembered.
He described the project as “a big statement” and urged Nigerians to emulate him.
“Doing things like this will make Nigeria a better place,” the Sultan said.
“The presence of heads of sister security agencies here today shows the synergy amongst our security services and the trust they have in Tosin Ajayi,” the Sultan said.
Speaking earlier, Ajayi, who was represented by a retired director of the DSS, Alhaji Ahmed Zalmar, said the idea of building the school started years ago when he served in Kaduna State.
According to him, the law establishing the DSS empowers it to prevent five major threats to internal security namely espionage, insurgency, sabotage, subversion, and terrorism.
He said he identified education as a key method of dousing discontent among the population.
According to him, “The latest of such is the building and donation of the well-furnished modern Islamic school with support from my friends and associates, which also reflects the core mandate of President Tinubu.
“It is also part of my policies to improve the nation’s internal security architecture through conventional and non-conventional engagements.”
He said he chose to channel his support for the well-being of vulnerable and needy groups through several social projects, including the building of schools, places of worship, and sports centres, among others.
Ajayi explained that he had never used operational funds or budgetary provisions for the philanthropic gestures aimed at winning the hearts of vulnerable populations toward defeating insurgency and terrorism.
“I have always channeled parts of Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR) and other financial support from stakeholders for such purposes,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, Minister of Finance, Mr. Wale Edun, who was accompanied by his Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, stressed the importance of education to Nigeria’s future.
He lauded President Tinubu’s support for faith-based education initiatives and the school feeding programme.
Edun said, “By 2050, 25 per cent of the global workforce will be African, with many from Nigeria”.
He maintained that despite challenges facing the country, progress was evident in economic growth, increasing foreign reserves, stabilising inflation, and decreasing food and energy prices.
John Shiklam
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