By Busola Samuel
The Attah and Paramount Ruler of Aiyede Kingdom, Ekiti State, Alhaji AbdulMumini Adebayo Orishagbemi, has sent his salutation to the supreme leader of the Nigerian Muslim Ummah and Sultan of Sokoto, Dr. Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, on the successful administration of new moon sighting process that ushered Muslim faithful in the Africa’s most populous country into the Ramadan 1441 A.H. fasting, which commenced Friday April 24, 2020.
The Attah also congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari not only on the new month of Ramadan and its most rewarding fasting but also on his handling of the anti-coronavirus, Covid-19 fight, which earned him the coordinating chairmanship of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Covid-19 Committee and has continued to bring him positively to the notice of the world.
The Ekiti monarch, who has never for once wavered in describing the Sultan of Sokoto and President General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Dr. Sa’ad Abubakar, as his spiritual leader, gave it to the Chairman National Traditional Rulers Council of Nigeria (NTRCN) the full compliance that Muslims have displayed with precautionary measures put in place by government in the fight against the novel disease coronavirus pandemic.
According to him, Attah Adebayo Orishagbemi said, “I believe that the two leaders, Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar (traditional and religious leadership) and President Muhammadu Buhari (head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces) are pragmatic persons and the world has watched closely and found them worthy.”
He said, “Nigeria’s traditional and religious communities are today witnessing a paradigm shift, which has opened up many of the hitherto complicated issues that made the country look like a problem situation without soution. Today, it is a known fact that Nigeria is in better position to identify what the cause of any ethno-religious problem is and where it is coming from.
“So also there is now sustainable unity of the Ummah and systematic engender of peaceful co-existence between the Muslims and Christians of Nigeria. These are all made possible by the resilience and tolerance of Dr. Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto which have positively and progressively complimented the effort of the President and Commander-in-Chief, Alhaji Muhammadu Buhari,” he said.
As for them who see Hausa/Fulani as good for nothing, the Yoruba monarch said, “Here is Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar, who is respected as a leader generally acceptable cross-ethnicity and to both major religions as model. Here also is President Buhari, a man that, in spite of everything, you can hardly puncture his integrity and commitment to repositioning of Nigeria. Where then did they see what they talk about Fulani people when we have them for many years as members of our communities and we have peacefully coexisted for that long?” He wondered.
He aded that bad eggs exist in all tribes and religions and that every Nigerian has responsibility to expose such bad eggs in his tribe and religion instead of singling one out for stigma. “It is unfair”, he said.
He warned that there should be no Nigerian with mindset of evil against the other.
“This country is founded on a tripod stand that, if properly managed, can never make the nation to fall. It is however necessary to tell them who do not wish the leaders and Nigeria well that there will be consequences for every action and this, he wants them to take note of at all time,” he said.
