The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar has called on Nigerians to embrace generosity by sharing their wealth with the less privileged people in the society.
The royal father gave the charge in Abuja on Tuesday during the 2024 Fourth Quarter meeting of the Nigerian Inter-religious Council (NIREC) with the theme: “Our Natural Resources and Insecurity in Nigeria.”
He urged the stakeholders to keep contributing to the peace and stability of Nigeria while encouraging everyone to stay hopeful, despite the challenges the country faces and to continue praying for Nigeria’s leaders and its people.
The monarch reminded Nigerians that material possessions are temporary and should be shared with others.
“I believe we still have a lot to contribute to peace and stability of our great country. We know the pains everybody is going through. We know it’s not easy. But Almighty Allah will make things easy, because no matter what hardship anybody is going through, peace will come, things will come, and things will be better.
“Let’s continue chanting our vows and keep on praying, and believing that Almighty, who brought us into the world, will never allow us to suffer.
“What we need to do, go back to God, back to our religious worship places, pray for our leaders, pray for our country, and be good.
“Let’s see what we can do to help the needy. This is December, the last month of the year. We pray, Almighty Allah to guide us aright and bring peace and stability to our great country, Nigeria,” the Sultan said.
Speaking at the meeting, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Gorge Akume addressed the potential link between Nigeria’s rich natural resources, particularly solid minerals and oil, and the country’s insecurity.
He said while Nigeria’s mineral wealth is celebrated globally, it is not the mere existence of these resources that causes insecurity, but the manner in which they are exploited.
Akume also reflected on Nigeria’s past reliance on agriculture for economic growth, noting that oil discovery led to a shift away from agriculture, which had previously funded infrastructure, education, and other public services.
He critiqued the focus on oil and gas wealth, suggesting that while some individuals benefit from these sectors, the broader population does not see significant improvements in infrastructure or quality of life.
President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), His Eminence, Archbishop Daniel Okoh for his part, said Nigeria is blessed with abundant natural resources which supposed to improve the quality of life of Nigerians but lamented that instead of being a blessing, they mostly become a sources of conflict.
The mode of managing the resources, he said, often led to strife among communities, leading to disagreement and loss of lives.
In his introductory remarks, NIREC’s Executive Secretary, Fr. Cornelius Omonokhua, questioned how Nigeria’s natural resources, such as palm oil and crude oil, have instead of benefiting the nation, become sources of pain due to insecurity.
Omonokhua also addressed the north, where valuable resources like solid minerals and agriculture are overshadowed by insecurity, particularly in regions like Zamfara where gold discovery has fueled banditry.