The Governor of Sokoto State, Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, yesterday warned Nigerians against religious discrimination and tribalism. He described them as the major problems facing the progress of the country. He also linked ethnicity and religious intolerance to the recurrence of ethno-religious conflicts plaguing Nigeria as a nation.
Speaking while delivering lecture on “Religious Tolerance and Challenges of Democratic Governance, during the 4th & 5th Convocation Ceremony of Fountain University, Osogbo,the governor preached oneness among Nigerians for better and improved country.
According to him, “Corruption and incompetent leadership have added another dimension to the ugly phenomena in not only preventing equitable distribution of resources and opportunities but in also making the politics of religious and the ethnic exclusivity more appealing He added that, the phenomena of ethno-religious conflict has plagued and threatened the existence of the nation, owing to the insecurity and bad leadership.
“However, the soaring tides of poverty, unemployment, ethno-religious crisis, poor infrastructure, environmental hazards, insecurity and particularly bad leadership have converged to deny the country the potential to reach the benchmark of development in the 21st Century.
“Mismanagement of natural resources and misrule by elite from all divides have been the factor, which impoverished and denied opportunities to the majority of Nigerians. He added that, “Since independence, religious and ethnic rhetoric has leveraged claims to political representation and opportunities.
“The nation therefore needs to evolve a system of leadership selection and accountability, which produces the sort of leaders that would confront the challenges associated with our history, socioeconomic inequality, and building viable institutions for democracy and good governance. “In essence, politicians, public officials and political office holders must be those who are not necessarily detached from religion.”
