The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, has called for national unity in Nigeria, saying the strength of the country lies in remaining an indivisible entity.
The Sultan made a call in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, while commissioning a 10.2 kilometre Glory Drive II constructed by the state government.
He advised leaders not to force themselves on the people, stressing that only God gives power and can also take it away whenever He wants.
“Somebody will wonder why bringing somebody far away from Sokoto to Bayelsa to commission a road project. There are too many things there to talk about: One, it is not just a road but a very iconic and historical road, that it takes a lot of money to build.
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“There is a need for us to be together as one big family. Why bring somebody far away from Sokoto to Bayelsa?
“Because this is one Nigeria, we are stronger together, our diversity is our strength, we are all here today as one family, different tribes, but we are all together and when a leader is doing the right thing, you will see it through the faces and action of the followers, and I believe the governor is doing the right thing.
“I pray the governor of Bayelsa State will do more for the people of the state, work for the people who put you in leadership position and not for them to work for you; you are their servant and they are not your servants.
“So, I want to call on the people of Bayelsa to continue to show support, pray for the leaders; when a leader is doing well, support him so that he will do more, when he is doing wrong please correct him.
“Don’t think because he is your leader, he cannot be corrected; nobody is above mistake: leaders make mistakes more than the followers because they are on top there and think they are in their comfort zone. A leader must consult before making a decision.
“Myself and the governor of Bayelsa State will continue to work together for the peace and harmony of our people; our diversity is our strength, let’s continue to help one another.
“We want peace in our society. Please, no matter what happens, don’t force yourself on the people; try to be peaceful in your approaches in life.
“Only God gives power to whom He wants, and He will take it away too from you without warning you. That is why we pray for peace in Bayelsa State, we pray for peace in Nigeria and peace in the world, we thank God for this.
“I like to thank the good people of Bayelsa State for inviting and receiving us, and we thank Allah for making us accept this invitation, and bring us here safely. Such work like this is what you are doing to take the burden of leadership from your shoulders by providing this road for people to use in a happy mood.
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“I want to assure you that the governor will do much more and will be part of the success story of the future of Bayelsa State, so that when the history of Bayelsa is written and the name of Douye Diri is written, they will say yes, one time he brought the Sultan of Sokoto, who is by the grace of God the chairman of National Council of Traditional Rulers, who happened to be by the grace of God the leader of the millions of Muslims in Nigeria and sub-saharan Africa and who by the grace of God is the co-chairman of Nigeria Inter-Religious Council where we are teaming up with Christian leaders to make peace prevail in our communities.
“I think it is important for us to invite people from faraway places to come and see what we are doing,” he said.
Earlier, Governor Douye Diri said his administration was not playing politics with the development of the state; that was why the road was completed for use by the people.
He stated that the road, which cost about N30 billion, was conceived when former President Goodluck Jonathan was governor of the state, but was abandoned until he took over as governor in 2020.
