Ethnic bigotry, character assassination will take Nigeria nowhere, Emir of Dutse tells political class

Source: pointblanknews.com

 
The Emir of Dutse, Dr. Nuhu Mohammed Sanusi, has said it is high time the nation's political class shunned ethnic bigotry and embraced tolerance, dialogue and peaceful co-existence in the search for an enduring democracy in the country.

Speaking when he received President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and the PDP presidential campaign team in his palace in Dutse, Jigawa State today, Dr. Sanusi decried the resort to hate and ethnic bigotry, hostile confrontations and character assassination among the political class, noting that these could hamper the nation's pursuit of an egalitarian democracy.

According to the monarch, “Recent events in the country call for serious concern in our pursuit for an egalitarian democracy. Hostile confrontations as against tolerance and dialogue; character assassination and blackmail as against reasoning and consensus; hate and ethnic bigotry have beclouded our values of affection and fairness.”

“Our nation has suffered enough bloodletting; it makes no sense to take up arms against each other in the pursuit of selfish interest; it makes all the sense in the world to lift up arms and embrace anything that nourishes enduring peace. Allah is the owner of Sovereignty. He gives Sovereignty to whom He wills, and takes Sovereignty away from whom He wills,” the royal father stated.

He hailed President Jonathan for his “deliberate policy efforts” to bridge the educational gap between the north and the south, as well as reducing the social gap between Islamic and conventional education through the establishment of more Federal Universities and Almajiri model schools particularly in northern Nigeria, with Jigawa State among early beneficiaries.

The monarch also commended the commitment of President Jonathan to the conduct of free and fair polls in the country in April, while praying for the present administration to succeed in this direction, in spite of “the antagonism of all who profit by the preservation of the old order.”

While emphasizing peaceful co-existence among the citizenry, the Emir noted: “It is high time for our political elites to realize that the only way to achieve practical and enduring peace in the plateau and other hot spots in our country is to take the profit out of ethno-political conflicts.”

Earlier, President Jonathan promised that his administration in the course of a fresh four-year mandate will fight poverty aggressively, describing it as a common national plague that “does not speak different languages”. He said his government will pursue the unity of the country at all times.

The president expressed government's concern for the danger of desert encroachment in parts of the north and assured that modern technology initiatives will be employed to curtail the trend.

While restating government's resolve to generating wealth for the nation's teeming youthful population, President Jonathan said modern irrigation methods will be introduced especially in northern Nigeria to stimulate the agricultural sector, and achieve a diversified economy in the process.

“Goodluck Jonathan and Namadi Sambo mean well for this country. We believe in the unity of this country and we will work with the best brains to turn around this country for good,” the president said.