Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar eulogized as epitome of tolerance, national unity, as Governor Lalong hosts, lauds DCCN summit in Jos

“We must not always exploit the fault lines of politics, religion and ethnicity which can easily make us derail and create disharmony among the people. If we do justice to all irrespective of differences, there will be peace and progress. Anything contrary, will make us slide deeper into chaos,” Governor Along said.

This eulogy was made by the National President, Da’awa Coordination Council of Nigeria, DCCN, Malam Muhammad Lawal Maidoki, Sadaukin Sokoto, in a welcome speech at second National Inter-faith Summit on Peaceful Coexistence and National Building 2020, holding at Station Hotels Jos, Plateau State.

Malam Maidoki said, against all odds the Sultan, who was physically present at the occasion just like Governor of Plateau State, Sir Simon Bako Lalong, never relented in preaching the gospel of peace, love and religious tolerance between and among Muslims and their Christian counterparts in the country.

While condeming killings in any part of the country and in whatever disguise, he appealed to the faithful of both religions to embrace dialogue and eschew violence, noting that nation is taken aback where there is no respect for human life.

The DCCN Leader also advised journalists to lay emphasis on developmental journalism and avoid inciting reporting for the sustenance of peace and harmony in all parts of the country.

Maidoki, who is also Executive Chairman of the Sokoto State Zakat and Endowment Commission (SOZECOM), praised the Christian community for responding to the invitation to the summit.

Also in his remarks, Sir Simon Bako Lalong, who is the Special Guest at occasion, thanked the DCCN for choosing his state as the host, describing the theme of the summit, which is “Leadership and Good Governance: Bedrock for Peaceful Coexistence”, as no doubt timely and relevant to the present reality in the country.

“Let me therefore commend the organisers for conceiving this all-important summit and choosing Plateau State as host. I am also excited by the calibre of participants that have been invited across faiths and diverse callings to discuss the concerns raised about peaceful coexistence of citizens through good governance and leadership.

“No doubt, this is a topic that will continue to be on the front burner in our country until such a time when we get it right, and ensure that leaders serve according to terms of engagement and expectations of those they govern.

“Being an inter-faith gathering, I expect that issues around leadership values and recruitment, reward system, accountability and responsibility will be thoroughly discussed and solutions advanced.

“The current challenges of poverty, corruption, insecurity and inadequate infrastructure across our country, certainly calls for sincere and frank discourse that will motivate us to action in finding lasting solutions.

“So much of our challenges as a nation have been blamed on poor leadership and bad governance which increases the tendencies for conflicts, insecurity and unrest, while at the same time exacerbating poverty and desperation among the people.

“For us in Plateau State, the desire is to provide a leadership that inspires confidence, and motivates the people to work towards peaceful coexistence and development, has been our focus since the inception of our Rescue Administration in 2015.

“Many are aware that when we assumed office, Plateau State was devastated by crises that deeply divided the citizens along religious, ethnic and political lines as well as brought economic activities to an all-time low.

“The first thing we did was to begin a process of healing and reconciliation through confidence building, driven by an inclusive governance style which facilitated peace-building and reduced mistrust among the people.
Our belief that peace is the bedrock of development, saw us quickly establishing the Plateau Peace Building Agency which became the lead agency in driving our efforts to genuine reconciliation.

“I am happy to say that our efforts have yielded positive results and today, many States have since come to learn from us seeing that our State is now regaining its status as the Home of Peace and Tourism.

“While this is being consolidated, we are continuing our collaboration with security agencies in dealing with criminals and evil persons and groups that appear determined to cause havoc in our State, as witnessed in the last killings in Mangu and Bokkos Local Government areas.

“As we discuss leadership and good governance, let us all remember that the duty of every good leader is to bridge the gap and reduce the factors that trigger mistrust, hatred and bigotry between different ethnic nationalities and religious adherents.

“This can only be possible if there is genuine commitment to truth, justice and faithfulness to the oath of office and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, especially by those who are elected to serve everyone.

“We must not always exploit the fault lines of politics, religion and ethnicity which can easily make us derail and create disharmony among the people. If we do justice to all irrespective of differences, there will be peace and progress. Anything contrary, will make us slide deeper into chaos.

“Another area where leadership and good governance needs to be critically looked at, is the management of public resources in a prudent, accountable and equitable manner. This will facilitate the creation of jobs and economic opportunities as well as reducing crime.

“This is exactly what we have been doing in Plateau State in the last four years where we have reduced wasteful spending, ensured transparency and created many jobs through the Plateau Small and Medium Enterprises Agency (PLASMEDA) and other agencies.

“At the end of last year, the National Bureau of Statistics declared Plateau State as the second least corrupt State in the country. We intend to be number one in the next report by the Grace of God.

“Before I end my remarks, let me use this forum to repeat my call to leaders of thought, religious, traditional and political leaders to avoid using divisive and inciting language in their utterances.

“Because many followers look up to us, let us preach love ad tolerance and not hatred. Through love, we can live together peacefully,” Lalong said.