PEACE BUILDING: Sultan of Sokoto, CAN President, others urge Nigerians to show commitment

By KEMI KASUMU

His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar further said that “trust cannot be faked; leaders must take steps to earn the trust of their citizens, and we must remove ignorance through effective communication to nurture trust.”

A session of the tri-annual meeting of the Nigerian Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) was flagged off in Owerri, Rivers State, South East Nigeria on Wednesday April 30, 2025.

The meeting, directed by the co-Chairmen of the Council, His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto and President General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), and President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Archbishop Daniel Okoh, was well attended by very important dignitaries across religious and government circles including Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, and hosted by Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma.

In separate remarks, the NIREC co-Chairmen Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar and Archbishop Okoh urged Nigerians to show sincere commitment to peacebuilding and national progress.

They warned against ethnic and religious profiling, calling for love, unity and prayers for wise and effective leadership.

Particularly, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, called for building mutual trust for national unity among Nigerians.

He also called on governments at all levels to double their efforts in meeting people’s needs by telling citizens the truth, eliminating corruption and promoting justice and fairness during the meeting in Owerri on Wednesday.

“The leaders of our great nation, in their different faiths, should focus on building mutual trust, as it is the initial key for every country to survive,” said the leader of the Muslim Ummah of Nigeria.

While addressing the Tri-Annual meeting, the Sultan said national unity is the most crucial goal for all governments at all times.

According to him, “It is fairly obvious that without national unity, no nation can live in peace, much less succeed.

“National unity is particularly important when a nation is facing numerous challenges as our nation is today, because national unity allows us to focus as a nation and harvest the collective wisdom of our communities in solving our national problems,” he said.

He also analysed that building trust is the foundation for national unity between the different communities and religions in order to generate cooperation from citizens to obey the rules and regulations that make it easy for leaders to be effective in governance.

His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar further said that “trust cannot be faked; leaders must take steps to earn the trust of their citizens, and we must remove ignorance through effective communication to nurture trust.

“This is because ignorance leads to suspicions, and suspicion eats away at trust, which in turn erodes unity.”

The Sultan also made a point regarding social media when he was recently misunderstood. In a comment on social media content, he said, “We must regulate social media and make it a positive tool for good.”

Today, the citizens are hard-hit, and if democracy, which is said to be people-centered, is to make any sense to the ordinary people, governance must meet their basic needs, the NSCIA President General said.

Speaking in what he called President Bola Tinubu’s words, SGF George Akume urged Christian and Muslim faithful in the country to embrace love and trust, saying these values are essential for building a cohesive and united society.

He stressed that without trust, noble intentions risk being misunderstood and distorted, adding that trust can help Nigeria overcome deep divisions, resolve complex conflicts, and pave the way for national consensus and lasting greatness.

While acknowledging NIREC’s vital role in bringing together leaders of the two major religions to promote peace and moral guidance among their followers, Akume praised the Council’s efforts, calling them a beacon of hope and a moral compass guiding national unity and harmony.

He also thanked Governor Hope Uzodimma for hosting the meeting and commended the peaceful and welcoming atmosphere in the state.

He described the meeting’s theme, ‘Building Mutual Trust and National Unity,’ as timely, relevant and particularly fitting for the country’s current challenges.

Meanwhile, Governor Uzodimma, in his remarks, thanked NIREC for selecting Imo to host the conference and lauded their mission of fostering inter-religious understanding and unity.

He urged religious leaders to remain steadfast in promoting a Nigeria built on peace, love, and mutual trust as foundations of national pride.

The governor also praised the dedication of NIREC’s co-chairmen, Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar and Archbishop Daniel Okoh, for their patriotic leadership.

Uzodimma noted that NIREC’s initiatives had helped reduce religious conflicts and improve understanding between diverse faith communities across Nigeria.

He cautioned that religion must never be misused as a tool for division, but rather as a unifier in society.

He urged Nigerians to look beyond stereotypes and embrace each other’s humanity, highlighting unity as key to national development.

In the address if the governor, religious leaders were encouraged to use their influence to promote love, tolerance, respect, and peaceful coexistence among Nigerians of all faiths.

Uzodimma also advised clerics to speak out against violence, crime, terrorism, and other forms of insecurity affecting the country.

Rev. Fr. Cornelius Omonokhua, NIREC Secretary, said the council believes the negative narratives around religion and ethnicity can be positively transformed.

He lamented that diversity, which should enrich Nigeria, has often been manipulated to pit people against each other as adversaries.

Omonokhua called for educational reforms that preserve truthful teachings of religion and history, fostering unity and Godly fear among students.

Mr Fidelis Chukwu, former Ohanaeze Ndigbo chairman, and Alh. Alatare Musa presented insightful papers at the conference.

The event’s highlight was the inauguration of NIREC members from the five states in the South-East geo-political zone.