Shun Politics Of Religion-Governor Sule

Rabiu Omaku

Nasarawa State Governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule, has identified selfish ambition and quest for power as the bane of the politics of the country, with some politicians resorting to ethnicity and religion in order to gain power.

Engineer Sule stated this while being presented with the award of National Peace Ambassador by the Sultan Maccido Institute for Peace, Leadership and Development Studies, University of Abuja.

According to the Governor, as long as politicians continue to trigger ethnic and religious sentiments on account of seeking political power, they will only succeed in dividing the people which remains a threat to peace and security of the country.

He therefore called on politicians in the country not to sacrifice peace on the altar of political ambition.

Engineer Sule emphasized that the visible efforts put in place by his administration in peacebuilding within the North Central geopolitical zone have been variously recognized leading to the award of the prestigious Peace Achievers Governor of the Year awards in 2020 and 2022.

“So long as politicians continue to trigger ethnic and religious sentiments on account of political competition, they would make the citizens suspicious of each other, and this can threaten the fragile peace that we enjoy.

“If we truly love the state that we wish to govern, then we must respect the law and avoid instigating bitterness and respect the judiciary. I believe they are professionals.

“We must never compromise peace on the altar of ambition but exhibit thoughtful leadership, great vision, and sincere purpose.  We must show the fear of God in whatever we do without making religious worship centres places of political campaigns.  We must not incite tribal for people to rise against each other,” he stated.

The Governor added that he promoted peace in Nasarawa State because he believes in peace, stressing that without peace there won’t be meaningful development.

“I believe in peace. I promoted peace in Nasarawa State because as a Governor I believe that without peace there can’t be meaningful development.  No investor will take his resources and invest where there is no peace. Nasarawa State is one place where there has to be investment,” he added.

Engineer Sule used the opportunity to highlight steps taken by his administration to ensure relative peace in the state.

He however pointed out that no state in the country is facing the same challenges but that every state is unique.

“The problems you find in one state are completely different from the one you have in another. But one thing is certain. Once you have the right leadership in place, there will be progress, there would be development, but more importantly, there will be peace.

“I came from a state that has multiple religions and multiple ethnic groups, and because of this show of superiority, one group would claim dominance in the state and must produce the governor.  Another tribe would say we are the dominant religion in the state, we must produce the governor.   You have all these kinds of sentiments. Merit is no longer there. We have been able to exploit gaps in education to propagate division amongst the people,” he noted.

Organizers of the event commended Engineer Sule for providing the right leadership to turn around the fortunes of Nasarawa State and to bring about peace, progress, and development.

In his address, Vice Chancellor of the University of Abuja, Professor Abdulrasheed Na’Allah, said the goal of the Sultan Maccido Institute for Peace, Leadership, and Development Studies, is to find solutions to challenges of leadership and security in the country.

“Our goals are to think through and put ideas on the table. Look at the difficulties whenever they may be at the communities and proffer solutions.  Our goal is to begin to think about those fundamental issues that are bedeviling us as a nation. There is nothing greater than the issue of leadership and security,” he stated.

The theme for the event, “Political Leadership and Security Challenges in Nigeria: An Agenda Setting for the President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu Administration”, is meant to guide President Tinubu administration toward achieving its Renewed Hope Agenda.