GLO'S SUPPORT FOR AFRICAN VOICES BOOSTS DEVELOPMENT
Perhaps, one of the glowing attributes of Glo, is its support for development and the exposure of the African continent to the world.
This was again demonstrated last weekend during one of the editions of AFRICAN VOICES, a programme on Cable News Network, CNN, wholly sponsored by Glo.
Its guest was no other person than the Sultan of Sokoto, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Saad Abubakar.
For the wrong perception which though gained ground about Africans but which is fast changing, regarding the backwardness of the continent and the erroneous impression that African royalty lacks intelligence or education, the erudition of Sultan Abubakar, his bluntness and candor, as well as his gait, all came together to give a good projection of royalty on the one hand, and of the concept of rulership of an empire that remains enduring. All thanks to Glo's sp[onsorship of the programme.
The Sultan declared during the programme that politicians have failed the people of Nigeria just as he maintained that politicians sometimes create crises and give them religious colouration.
The Sultan also made it clear that the issue of Islamic fundamentalism and the crises associated with some of the crises in the country can be traced to the activities of politicians who arm and give the youths money to create crises.
Sultan Abubakar, however, noted that fundamentalists are in the minority.saying:
'Every where you have bad eggs who do not agree with what you are doing but they are always in the minority so you don't have much problem but the majority are the ones that matter. The majority are the ones who really matter and we are the majority'.
Responding to the role of politicians and the failure to engage constructive development of the nation, he said: 'If you say politicians have failed them then you are quite right. The politicians are the ones who even arm these people. They give them money. They arm them, but like I've said they are in the minority. The majority of us are peace loving and we are out for a peace loving Nigeria'.
Asked if the traditional rulers have also failed the young men who are involved in Islamic fundamentalism, the Sultan gave an emphatic 'NO' response.
Continuing, the Sultan re-affirmed that the traditional institution has not failed the people.
On the issue of religious crisis, the Sultan admitted thus:
'There could be a few cases of religious crises in some places but most of the crises we have in this country (that some people link to religion) are not religious. They are politically motivated and given the colouration of religion'.
The Sultan said he was 'very concerned about recent developments whereby politicians use people to create crises and then try to link it with religion. I am very concerned about that.
Even when the President called us to have a talk with us, I brought it up that 'politicians should have issue-related campaigns and not about personalities or ethnicity and I have always made it clear that no Christian politician can win an (presidential) election with purely Christian votes and no Muslim politician can win with purely Muslim votes. Nigeria's population is divided between both religions.
'I can not force you to accept my religion, the Almighty said so in the Quoran. You go your way I go my way and these two ways lead to the Almighty. It is for the Almighty to determine which of these two ways is better to get through to him and that is not for you and I so there should be no problem of converting people by force. We preach peace always.
'On the issue of politics and support for politicians, the Sultan said he 'is not a politician; I am the father of all so everyone comes to me'.
All these exposition, thanks to GLO