From Mustapha Adamu, Kano
Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Alhaji Sa’adu Abubakar has said that understanding one another among Nigerians is the major challenge the country is facing.
Speaking at the inauguration of inter tribal traditional leaders association at the weekend, the Sultan said for Nigeria to achieve peace, the diversed citizens must understand one another.
According to him, forming the association is timely in the wake of security challenges facing the country, noting that the leaders must work assiduously towards unity and tolerance among ethnic groups in the country.
Sultan, who is the President of Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, also noted that with understanding, Nigerians would tolerate one another and peace would definitely reign in the country.
“Our major problem as a country is lack of understanding. We need to understand one another. If we understand one another, we will surely tolerate one another and peace will reign in this country.
“ We should embrace one another. We should not feel superior to one another. We may have different ideas and knowledge, but understanding is paramount,” Sultan said.
He also advised the steering committee of the association to reach out to minority ethnic groups to integrate them into their fold, tasking the leaders to go round the country and meet all the groups in order to have wider idea on how to move the association forward.
In his remarks, the Kano state governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje said that no part of Nigeria could live in isolation as the the citizens need one another to survive.
According to him, the formation of the association is a huge step forward in the journey to unite ethnic communities in Kano and the nation as a whole.
He admitted that the country is in a trying times in view of the security challenges bidevilling the nation, calling on Nigerians to renew their faith in Nigeria and wax stronger in effort to achieve peace.
In his acceptance address earlier, the National Chairman of the association, Boniface Ibekwe, stated that Kano is the most integral part of unity in Nigeria as it kindly harbour many ethnic groups without harassment.
According to him, Kano is the example of unity as its citizens distribute across many parts of the country, noting that most of the Sarkin Hausawa in the southeastern Nigeria are indigenea of the state and have married indigenous Igbo women there.
He expressed appreciation to Ganduje for sponsoring the inauguration ceremony, commending the governor for carrying non indigenes along in the state.
