Government must fish out, deal with criminals, says Sultan

Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar, on Wednesday called on the Federal Government and security agencies to fish out and deal with criminals causing trouble in the country.

The sultan also said it was wrong to see every Fulani man who is a herder as a criminal.

The monarch spoke at a book launch written in honour of Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, in Abuja.

The book, a compilation of essays was written by Y.O Imam, R.I Adebayo and A.I Ali-gan, and presented to the public at the Shehu Yar’Adua centre.

Abubakar, who said there are no statesmen in the country but men of states, also said it was wrong for state governors to consider their immediate environment as their only constituency, noting that the country could not allow such to continue.

He said: “We have governors that only see their immediate environment as their only constituency. And if you don’t belong to their tribal or ethnic background you are finished. These are things happening. We cannot allow this to continue.

“We must be free to move to where we want to, sit comfortably where we want to. And if a criminal comes we don’t allow him to move. We don’t accept criminalities or criminals in our midst. We must fish them out and deal with them.

“Nowadays the most words you can hear is Fulani. There are millions of Fulani’s that don’t even know what a cow is. I am Fulani but I am never a herder. I am a very proud Fulani but everybody when they see a Fulani man is a killer. It is not true.

“There are so many non-Fulani’s that are herdsmen. Millions of them. So to stereotype a particular ethnicity as a criminal is wrong. There are criminals all over the world. So let us give criminals their due names. Call them criminals not Christian criminals not Muslim criminals, not Yoruba criminals. Call them criminals and deal with them. That is what we have been telling government.

“If the government have failed then tell us how to come about it. We will come and sit with them and help. I think we have to leave some of these issues.”

The monarch, who is also the President-General of the Nigerian National Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), noted that corruption was at a high level that required Nigerians and government to fight it to a terminal end.

He said the news that a snake swallowed N36 billion from a JAMB official in Benue state, reflected the sad realities on ground.

The monarch explained that the current economic situation in the country was bad, adding that the country should not be allowed to sink further.

He said: “Nigeria is a country where you do not celebrate honest people until after their death. After their death you will now name universities, airport, roads after them, after they have gone. When you are going you are going. You don’t know what is happening in the world. But you must be celebrated when you are alive to know that people respect you and that will push you to do more.

“We know what we are going through in our country. The snake issue has been such a humourous thing that you see cartoons, you see postings left right and centre about the snake swallowing N36 million naira. It is humorous, yes but it is a sad reality of our country. Where is our moral value? How about our ethics? Can somebody just get up and take government money and go away scot free and nobody challenges him?

“It is a joke that snake swallowed N36 million. Maybe in dollars but the reality if facing us. The earlier we wake up to our responsibilities the better for us. Let us not sink further. Things are bad, corruption is at a very high level and it is left for us to fight it to a terminal end.

“We cannot just sit down and be thinking that things are okay. Things are not okay. We have said it so many times. But it is left for us to sit together and find out ways and means of getting things back on track in this blessed country.

“We thank God for Nigeria. We can’t wish for any other country like Nigeria. I mean for us to be in a country like Nigeria, we love what God has done for us but we cannot continue with these negative things every day.”

He called on the country to be more serious in dealing with its present leadership issue.

“Let us be more serious and take this leadership issue very well. Let us tell ourselves the home truth. When things are wrong let us say they are wrong and then find solution. We have to always ask ourselves: what we are doing is it right? If it is not right then we have to make amend and change it. As your conscience, are you doing the right thing?,” he added.

 

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