No Plans To Islamize Nigeria-Sultan of Sokoto

The Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Sa'ad Abubakar, has said there were no plans

to turn Nigeria into an Islamic nation.
Abubakar, who is also the President-General, Jamatu Nasril Islam (JNI),

made this known at the Golden Jubilee lecture of the JNI in Kaduna.

“Nobody can Islamise Nigeria, if Allah wanted he would have made everybody

Muslims, so also with Christianity. God would have made everybody

Christian if He wanted.
He stressed the need for the people to set aside ethno-religious

differences and be committed toward peace and development of the nation.

The Sultan said JNI criticism of certain policies of the present

government was a wakeup call for government or those in leadership

positions “to do what is right''.
He said that JNI's action was not aimed at fighting the government or any

group or religion.
Abubakar, however, decried the insecurity that had pervaded many parts of

the nation, especially the North-East by the Boko Haram insurgents.

He said that the activities of the insurgents should not be seen as an

attempt by Muslims to prosecute Christians or turn Nigeria into an Islamic

country.
Abubakar, therefore, appealed to Christians and other faithful to join

hands with Muslims to tackle the present security challenges and other

problems facing the country.
He also urged them to see Islam as a peaceful religion.

Vice President Namadi Sambo, in his goodwill message, said the present

administration would continue to support JNI in its programmes.

Sambo reiterated commitment of the Federal Government in tackling

insecurity and illiteracy in the country.
He also assured the Islamic body of the government's effort to address the

constant clashes between Fulani herdsmen and farmers in some states of the

federation.
Gov. Mukhtar Yero of Kaduna State urged JNI to play its role in defusing

tension based on interpretations of Allah's revelations.

This, Yero said, the Islamic organisation could do by encouraging Islamic

scholars and preachers to dwell more on the five pillars of Islam.

Yero said that the five pillars remained the core of the Islam and its

unifying factors.
He also stressed the need for the body to collaborate with other

inter-faith dialogue organisations toward promoting peace and unity in the

nation.
“The objective of such interaction is to devise means of promoting

peaceful coexistence for the development of our great country.

“We all know that without peace and stability there can be no meaningful

development because our country will economically stagnate, while majority

of the people, irrespective of faith, wallow in abject poverty.

“It is, therefore, a collective responsibility, especially on the part of

the JNI and similar bodies in the country, to galvanise the people toward

achieving lasting peace and security,'' he said.
The Speaker House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, governors,

traditional leaders, and Islamic scholars attended the occasion. (NAN)