By Bashir Adefaka
“(He is) the Lord of the two easts (places of sunrise during early summer and early winter) and the Lord of the two wests (places of sunset during early summer and early winter). Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both (jinn and men) deny?” (Qur’an 17 and 18).
Surely there is none of the blessings of his Lord that Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, would deny as it becomes obvious that he is indeed a blessing not only to his nation of birth, Nigeria, but also, more extensively, the world where, just recently, he has been rated as the world’s 22nd most influential Muslim, have steps behind President Muhammadu Buhari, another Nigerian, rated 17th. Why would he not consider himself a blessing to the world and the nation? many have asked, when it is during his reign the world and Nigeria have noticeably enjoyed a traditional and Muslim leadership that has successfully, and consistently too, blended the entire peoples together in his constancy in peace and unity advocacy?

Celebrating his 10th anniversary on the throne, the Sultanate Council of Sokoto and the Magajin Garin Sokoto made arrangements for a resounding weeklong event to appreciate the king-son-of-king’s immense contributions to the peace, unity and development of Sokoto State, Nigeria and global community in general and events were stretched between Wednesday, November 2 and Saturday, November 5.
All the activities went on as planned with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo declaring open the International Symposium on Sokoto Caliphate on Thursday.
Before declaring the symposium open, the vice president described Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III as worthy scion of the founding fathers of the Sokoto Caliphate. He said the Caliphate was founded on honesty.
“Ten years into your royal sojourn, you are in good standing with your people,” Osinbajo noted, saying: “ The Sokoto Caliphate was founded over 200 years ago on the sterling principles of honesty, piety, good governance and truthfulness, among others. “
He pointed out that Uthman Dan Fodio described a corrupt leader as a monkey, meaning, according to him, that the corruption being fought by Buhari administration today was long started by the founding father of the Sokoto Caliphate.
Earlier when he spoke, Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar was greeted with a heavy military band sound that he had to pass a joke, “This compliment is done for generals.”
He then acknowledged the fact of such compliment as an appreciation of his 31 years in the service of the Nigerian Army. The monarch stepped out of the Nigerian Army as Brigadier General into the waiting high seat of Sultanate royalty in 2016. “Thank you,” he said. While the hall of the Sokoto State Polytechnic where the symposium took place was still reverberating from the ovations resulting from the royal joke, the Sarikin Mu’mineen of Nigeria quickly settled down for another point of call. He said anyone arrested for corruption should answer his name.
He went on by attributing the slow pace of development in Nigeria to misplaced priorities by political leaders. The Sultan said Nigerians must muster the courage to question their political leaders on how they spend state resources, and make input to policy issues that involve their well-being. Abubakar said it was only when citizens began to ask questions that governors and other leaders would sit up and begin to take the people seriously.
Nigeria is well-structured
According to him, it is funny when people talk about restructuring. “When I hear people talk about restructuring I just laugh. Nigeria has long been well structured. The best way to move is for individual region to develop itself. Before we can restructure, let us first restructure our minds and acts. No matter what restructuring you do, with bad leaders in place, it won’t work”, the Sultan said.
“We must come together as good people to fight the evils in our midst. We must work to have a peaceful society and we must work to have development.
“We want to call on our leaders to please check themselves, especially the governors.
“I want to be blunt here. Why should a governor build a N30 billion airport when he has no money to pay salaries?”
He expressed regret that, most times, Nigerian leaders had misplaced priorities, putting up projects that were of no benefit to the masses.
The Sultan advised that instead of duplicating projects like airports around the states, resources should be diverted to meet other cogent needs that would be of more use to the masses.
“There is need to begin to listen to the cry of the common man, to understand their needs rather than just carrying out projects.
“Of what use is it to be building airports worth billions of naira when the roads that the common man travels are bad? Instead of having an airport here in Birnin Kebbi that hardly sees one flight in one year, and then you have an airport in Dutse that only lifts pilgrims; then you have an airport in Kaduna in Bauchi and Gombe and another one in Ekiti, in Makurdi and so on, while the roads which the common man uses for his day to day activities are so bad…
“You can imagine if you are travelling from Minna to Abuja, how many hours it will take you and from Lokoja to Okene down to Akure due to bad roads.”
Abubakar said these were the things political leaders needed to check and talk to themselves about adding that “if you don’t say the truth, you can’t have progress.”
The royal father said the common man, in reality, has no food, no money among others and further urged Nigerians to stop hiding behind religion, politics and tribal affiliations to perpetuate crime.
Abubakar admonished the people to learn to call a criminal a criminal, regardless of affiliation and come together as good people to fight the evil ones among them, for development to workout.
“People hide under politics to say or do certain things that are totally against the security of the state. If the person is arrested, the next thing you hear is that it is because he does not belong to the ruling party; what is bad is bad. Whether he is a Muslim or Christian or APC or PDP, remove all these and let him answer his name, a criminal, you have stolen government money.
“But once we start using tribe among others to claim right, it is not good. We must all rise up and help government to get the money back.”
The Sultan urged the Federal Government to convene a national security summit of all stakeholders, including traditional and religious leaders, to deliberate on security issues; from militancy to Boko Haram to kidnapping.
The host governor, Alhaji Aminu Waziri Tambuwwal of Sokoto State, was happy that many of those that needed to take from the Sultan’s several words of advice on progress and development, particularly security, including the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, were physically present. He urged everyone to be guided by the Sariki’s counsel.
President-General, League of Imams and Alfas South West, Edo and Delta, Sheikh Bello Kewulere, gave the closing prayer, followed by the vote of thanks taken by the organizing chairman, Etsu Nupe Alhaji Yahyah Abubakar.
The Sultan’s two deputy president-generals of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Shehu of Borno, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai El-Kanemi (North), and Alhaji Sakariyau Babalola (South), were present at all the events to do the leader of leaders a big honour on his anniversary.


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/11/sultan-joins-national-question-debate-restructuring-nigeria-needs/

With due respect to the royal father. Nigeria has not been restructured. Until Nigeria is structured according to economic line, it can never be progressive.
The best moment is now. No amount of twisting the reality will lead us anywhere

The sad but true part is that buhari is taking us miles backwards with some nit wits clapping for him

Ok

Let us restructure first the question of whether it will work or not is a later question

Northern leaders defending the feeding bottle system that assures them unfettered access to the economic fortunes of the bite of Biafra

Nigeria has long been well structured.

Haaa! This agbalagba can lie ooo..see big lie
Liar liar pants on fire!!!!

From the same people who never believed that Bokoharam is a terrorist organisation.


Hypocrites.

Decodedp:
Northern leaders defending the feeding bottle system that assures them unfettered access to the economic fortunes of the bite of Biafra

and there is nothing you can do about it

Justiyke4u:
Let us restructure first the question of whether it will work or not is a later question

Exactly my dear

LadyExcellency:
From the same people who never believed that Bokoharam is a terrorist organisation.


Hypocrites.

When did the sultan ever make such a statement. The same sultan that was one of the first to openly condem BH and was attacked for his position on BH

am i surprised by his comments nope. northern extremist HATE anyting RESTRUCTURING! n some pipul tink buari of all pipul, a communalist n lover of feeding bottle principle will restructure nigeria.

#notosharia

nura15:
and there is nothing you can do about it

Well, you have the Yorubas to thank for that...their unquenchable support for you northerners have made the Nigeria equation 2 against 1 to the demerit of the biafrans

The north wil always be a parasite as long as they run away from restructuring

nura15:
and there is nothing you can do about it

Was Mohammed a pedophile? Was he a demon possessed sex adict and sociopath? Are you Muslims depraved paedohiles? I'm sure there is nothing you can do about it. See how dirty you, your family and your religion are.

sweetgala:


When did the sultan ever make such a statement. The same sultan that was one of the first to openly condem BH and was attacked for his position on BH

I believe you are only asking a rhetorical question cos you will wait till chicken grow wisdom tooth if you are expecting any real response from ngwakwe.. (aka ladyexcellency )

Whatever suits their narrative (he & his co travellers), they go to town with it, that they can not substantiate it with any kind of evidence matters less.. There are impressionable minds to confuse, Rabble rousing must happen..

....it is the failure of the sultanate that led us into the mess we found ourselves,a man who supposedly is the 22nd most influential muslim and the leader of muslims in sub-saharan African,under his very nose boko haram was created. What did they do,nothing!rather there was a call by northern nuslims,including our very 'incorruptable' caliph Mohammadu Buhari,who at that time claimed that Boko haram are their northern brothers and whoever kills them,is a revenge of the Biafra war.
The same Sultan Dusaki will be first to defend fulani gun men who has long embarked on ethnic cleansing against the minority tribes of the North. For him,its 'hear no evil,see no evil and say no evil of the Fulanis'.
According to the sultan,'Nigeria is well structured',since everything is tilt in the favour of the North,while the goose that lays the golden egg,should be left out. Under his very nose a genocide was committed against the shias sect and it was treated with levity,because he is a sunni and yet claims to be leader of muslims.
The sultan has no moral justification to advice any leader,since he stinks with wickedness,greed,selfishness,avarice,nepotism,favouritism,sectionalism,tribalism,religiosity and you will agree with me that, these are they worst forms of corruption known to man kind.

Fedayeen02:
The north wil always be a parasite as long as they run away from restructuring

I agree with you. And yorubaas will always be leeches as they try to suppress the disintegration for this country

modath:

Haaa! This agbalagba can lie ooo..see big lie Liar liar pants on fire!!!!

Exactly my dear

modath:

Haaa! This agbalagba can lie ooo..see big lie Liar liar pants on fire!!!!

Exactly my dear

LalasticlAlA

Good one

sweetgala:


When did the sultan ever make such a statement. The same sultan that was one of the first to openly condem BH and was attacked for his position on BH

Stop arguing what you don't know. The google is there to help you out.

As for the bigoted self-acclaimed Iyadoja of Nairaland who keeps feeding her audience half truth and outright lies, I leave our post history to vindicate us.
Sycophancy is now a trademark she parades and shouts Ngwakwe at a sight of my comment as if I am her nemesis.

Back to the topic, the sultan asked Jonathan to declare "total amnesty for Bokoharam" without the President thinking twice as he presumably calls them militants.

Nigerian Sultan Demands Amnesty for Boko Haram Terrorists

March 7, 2013 - San Francisco, CA - PipeLineNews.org - Boko Haram [ Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati wal-Jihad - Al-Sunna

For Preaching and Jihad] Nigeria's primary violent jihadist entity is obtaining support from an Islamic religious authority, the Sultan of Sokoto who is demanding amnesty for the group.

Sokoto is an Islamist caliphate, located in Northern Nigeria [note, a caliphate is an Islamic governing structure operating under the strictures of the Shari'a, Islamic law].

"The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, on Tuesday appealed to the Federal Government to grant amnesty to all the armed groups operating in Nigeria..." [source, [url=Sultan of Sokoto seeks amnesty for armed groups Premium Times]www.premiumtimesng.com/news/123173-sultan-of-sokoto-seeks-amnesty-for-armed-groups.html[/url]

https://www.pipelinenews.org/2013/mar/07/Nigerian-Sultan-Demands-Amnesty-for-Boko-Haram-Terrorists.html

ourema:

Nigeria is well-structured
According to him, it is funny when people talk about restructuring. “When I hear people talk about restructuring I just laugh. Nigeria has long been well structured. The best way to move is for individual region to develop itself. Before we can restructure, let us first restructure our minds and acts. No matter what restructuring you do, with bad leaders in place, it won’t work”, the Sultan said.

“We must come together as good people to fight the evils in our midst. We must work to have a peaceful society and we must work to have development.
“We want to call on our leaders to please check themselves, especially the governors.
“I want to be blunt here. Why should a governor build a N30 billion airport when he has no money to pay salaries?”

Nigerian are restructuring mindset. That's why conversation is even happening. Second beyond fiscal federalism. People want the federal government powers decentralized to states. The devopement needs to be localized. Instead of bureaucrats in Abuja trying to make top down decisions. Lastly mineral and property right needs to return to individual. That way people can directly receive royalty.

The issue with second issue with state governmen approving projects when they haven't paid salary is with state assembly being dumb neanderthals. They control purse and they allow govenor to do what ever reckless action they please all over the 36 states. The powers of govenor need to be reduced but that has to be decided on state level. Along with ballot initiative and recalls.

Blue3k2:


Nigerian are restructuring mindset. That's why conversation is even happening. Second beyond fiscal federalism. People want the federal government powers decentralized to states. The devopement needs to be localized. Instead of bureaucrats in Abuja trying to make top down decisions. Lastly mineral and property right needs to return to individual. That way people can directly receive royalty.

The issue with second issue with state governmen approving projects when they haven't paid salary is with state assembly being dumb neanderthals. They control purse and they allow govenor to do what ever reckless action they please all over the 36 states. The powers of govenor need to be reduced but that has to be decided on state level. Along with ballot initiative and recalls.

Brilliant idea

Blue3k2:
Northern laggard region at it again. They are the issue economicly. Parasite states and hypocrite states. The reason they can't reach potential is because they refuse to compete. Southern productivity is only thing making sure Nigeria doesn't slip into niger.

Kano is the best performing northern state and barely competes with like of smaller in any regard.

Northern region:
Education- rank lowest
Per capita gdp- lowest
IGR - lowest

The sultan like many Northern politicians doesn't get restructuring has added benefit of letting every state compete. No more sharing at middle so unproductive state reap rewards of productive. If your govenor and state assembly are idiots you won't get a pound of flesh from federal government to fix your problems. Nigeria is not structured well the country unless you been blind in you castle wall. Do you not see poverty in your region?




Did you speak out when emir of Katsina kidnapped, raped, forcefully converted 14 year old Habiba. I'm guessing because your a pedophile enabler like alot of your buddies. Maybe it's virtue in the religion maybe you ito just because you just don't care.

Words worth pondering about

modath:


[s]I believe you are only asking a rhetorical question cos you will wait till chicken grow wisdom tooth if you are expecting any real response from ngwakwe.. (aka ladyexcellency )

Whatever suits their narrative (he & his co travellers), they go to town with it, that they can not substantiate it with any kind of evidence matters less.. There are impressionable minds to confuse, Rabble rousing must happen.. [/s]

Madam "US Government is always right", we've seen how you convicted our Legislators as rapist after calling me names and today, I stand vindicated. As I said before, I am a Princess, nurtured and socialised to give sound judgment on issues pertaining to life, people and conscience hence I debate with conscience as against your sycophantic political persuasion and tribal induced megalomania.

who cares about what this satan of sokoto is talking about, i particular do not give a rat about it.
anybody that cares about this gormless dimwitted satan of sokoto aka abubakar better should advise him to be quiet,
very very soon his kingdom will be on fire!

Change is a must but the question is when? .