Sultan Visits Oluwo, Preaches Peaceful Co-Existence
The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, has called for a peaceful co-existence among Nigerians regardless of their religions.
The monarch said people who criticise other religions are wasting their time, noting that Almighty God created everybody to be whatever they become.
The Sultan stated this on Saturday when he visited Iwo town to felicitate the Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, on his 10th coronation anniversary.
The Sultan, who arrived at the palace of Oluwo around 3:00 p.m., said he came to rejoice with the monarch and pray for him.
Oba Akanbi was announced as the Oluwo by the Osun State Government under the leadership of former governor Rauf Aregbesola on November 9th, 2015.
Addressing the gathering at Oluwo’s palace, Sultan added that Islam taught Muslims to be at peace with everybody and not to judge anybody based on their race or religion.
The Sultan said, “I decided to come here this afternoon to felicitate and pray for you on your 10th anniversary of leadership.
“What we should continue to preach is peaceful coexistence within our various communities. Whether you are a Muslim, a Christian, or whatever your religion is, God Almighty created you; you didn’t create yourself.
“So, wherever you find yourself, be the best you can be and continue to fear Almighty Allah who brought you to the world and worship Him to the best of your ability in whatever way you know how to worship Him.
“We are not to judge who is right and who is wrong. We are muslims and we are taught to be at peace with everybody. We are not here to judge any race or any religion anywhere in the world because we don’t create human beings; we don’t make people Muslims or Christians. Almighty Allah has already done that.
“So, let’s continue to be one big family with different brothers and sisters. People raising their voice about criticising other religions are just wasting their time. We should tell anyone making such comments to shut up.
“Almighty Allah did not create us to fight one another. He wants us to understand one another and who we really are. I’ve always said that when you understand somebody and you talk together, you will realise that you all mean the same thing, and you are all on the same page of the book, and you will not have any problem with anybody.
“In every society, we have the good and the bad people but I believe the good people are much more than the very few bad people. So, we have to come together and deal with the bad people so that we can live our lives in peace.”
The monarch urged the people of Iwo to keep supporting and praying for Oluwo, adding that with their prayers, the community will keep moving forward.
“I urge the town to continue to support and pray for Oluwo because he is doing the right thing for the community, and when you pray for your leader, you will continue to enjoy good things, but if you do not pray for your leader and you allow him to do bad things, you will suffer.
“Iwo people should be united because it is when you are united that you can fight a common enemy. As Nigerians, we can be united but not uniform. Our non-uniformity should not stop us from being united. We should be one big family of different backgrounds.
“Pray for President Bola Tinubu and your Governor Ademola Adeleke and everybody that needs prayer,” Sultan added.
In his remarks, Oba Akanbi appreciated the Sultan for his visit to his palace, noting that the people of the town are happy to receive the first-class monarch.
Olamilekan Adigun is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience in journalism embedded in uncovering human interest stories. He also prioritises accuracy and factual reportage of issues.
