Nigerians Should Quit Castigating Leaders, Says Sultan

[Suyuti]

Sa'ad Mohammad Abubakar II, the Sultan of Sokoto, warned Nigerians on Monday not to criticise their leaders and to leave things to God.

Abubakar urged Nigerians to keep praying for their leaders and the country, emphasising that nothing, good or terrible, lasts forever.

The Sultan further cautioned Nigerian officials that they will be held responsible for their deeds by the Almighty on the Day of Resurrection, and that no one will be able to defend them in front of their Creator.

Noting that 90% of those who listen to religious leaders in churches and mosques see them as saviours, he also counselled religious leaders against deceiving their followers for their own benefit.

The Kaduna State Bureau of Interfaith, in partnership with International Alert, convened the Regional Conference on Climate Change-Induced Conflicts in Northern Nigeria on Monday, where the Sultan made these statements.

"Try your hardest to worship Allah (God) and leave the rest to Him, not to anybody else," he stated. Avoid following someone who will mislead you. This nation has seen a lot of events, and we feel that we need to turn back to Allah. Increase the number of prayers offered at all mosques for our nation. The CAN President is here, and I think he will say the same thing, so I won't bring up churches.

"Many people claim that we have never had it so terrible, but relief will arrive no matter how challenging things get. We think that neither happy times nor bad times last forever.

"Let's encourage our followers to pray for our leaders and step up prayers in our congregations. We shall not judge them; instead, we will let Almighty Allah handle them anyway He sees fit. "Allah will ask us all what we did with the leadership that was given to us on earth," one of the speakers stated.

Each of us will be alone ourselves on that day; no one will be there to help us. No special adviser or SSG will be present, and no deputy governor will represent the governor.

As I repeat all the time, you are on your own. All of us will be by ourselves. In all we do, let us be afraid of Allah and offer prayers for our nation. We are fortunate; see the world by travelling to other nations. We do experience difficulties, but they are temporary. We can improve as a nation if we put in the effort and dedication.

"The North has numerous issues, including poverty and insecurity in an area that was formerly known for progress and peace, in addition to a lack of information regarding climate change. "We are all coming together as a single family in the North for this meeting.

There are a lot of misconceptions and false statements made by people who are attempting to split us. They are aware of the North's considerable power, both in Nigeria and internationally.

"Any obstacle may be overcome if we band together. We can build a better, more affluent community if we band together. This explains why there are so many disparaging remarks spoken about particular topics—remarks that are meant to split us apart even if we know they are false.

The Most Reverend Dr. D.C. Okoh, President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, stated in his speech that climate change is a humanitarian problem that needs immediate action and that it is a reality in the North. As a way ahead, he recommended tackling all causes of conflict, such as poverty, injustice, and limited access to resources.

Additionally, he emphasised the need of environmental stewardship and the necessity of educating the public about the effects of climate change.

Source: https://punchng.com/sultan-urges-nigerians-to-stop-castigating-leaders/