The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, and Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Rev. Matthew Kukah, have called on Nigerians to put aside their religious differences and work towards making the nation better.
They made this appeal at the unveiling of the book, “Scars: Nigeria’s Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum,” authored by former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Lucky Irabor on Friday in Abuja.
The duo urged Nigerians to shun religious extremism and work towards building a united and prosperous nation.
They emphasised that good governance is not about dispensing money, but about promoting the welfare of all citizens.
The Sultan emphasised the need for Nigerians to work as one big family, despite their different backgrounds, to forge ahead and make the country better.
The monarch however clarified that Islam is not aimed at capturing power, but rather at promoting good governance in society.
His words: “I also want to correct the notion when Bishop (Matthew) Kukah talked about Islamism. You use some words maybe in the wrong manner, or somebody might feel Islamism is negative.
“Islamism is not aimed at seizing power at any particular forum. Islam is after good governance in society.
“President Goodluck Jonathan was President; we gave him 100 per cent support. Throughout his presidency, nobody said anything negative against him; he knows that, and he is here.
“So, Islamism is not what you think it is; it is a wrong notion that you are bringing up here that it is to seize power. It is not to seize power. We’re after good governance,” he added.
The Sultan also highlighted that Islam abhors extremism, and that Muslims were guided by a code of conduct that promotes peaceful coexistence.
On his part, Rev. Kukah echoed the call for unity, stressing the importance of mutual respect among Nigerians of different faiths.
According to him, “I’d like to use this to speak to my Muslim brothers, especially from northern Nigeria.
”Islamism, that is what is called political theology in Christianity, is the instrumentalisation, the skewed usage and manipulation of religion as a tool for governance in a democracy.
“There is a way that good Muslims can participate in a democracy, and good Christians can participate in a democracy.
”But the idea that we want to use religion to enforce power is what Islamism is. It has become destructive to the religion itself in this day and age.
“Yes, they are killing Christians, but when are we going to come to a point where they are killing Nigerians?
”So Islamism threatens to destroy the foundations of Islam as a sacred religion, and we must insist collectively, because this is where Boko Haram started from.
“The point I am making here is that we, the religious leaders and the political actors, must come to terms with the fact that there are boundaries.
”If these boundaries are not respected, you can pay the Imam, you can pay the bishop, you can pay whatever money you want. Good governance is not about how much we are dispensing,” the cleric further added.
