Sultan expresses concern over corruption in Nigeria, caution public office holders

The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar has expressed concern over the persistence of corruption in the country.

The Sultan of Sokoto who is also the Co-chairman of the Nigeria Inter-religious Council (NIREC) was speaking at the Council (NIREC) first quarter meeting held in Abuja on Thursday.

The Islamic leader expressed worry on why office holders get rich overnight without being questioned. He also cautioned against their quest for quick wealth.

According to him, “the issue with corruption is that it’s been talked about every blessed day of our lives. At every forum you find people talking about corruption, corruption, corruption. Why is it not leaving us? Why is corruption not leaving us in Nigeria?

“Everybody who comes to an office, gets rich overnight and when he leaves office, he has become a multi billionaire with private planes and then nobody bothers to find out how he made that money. He becomes a big man and decides what happens”.

Alhaji Abubakar while reminding Nigerian leaders and office holders that the office they occupy is temporary, advised that constant monitoring is key to checkmating their activities.

“Don’t think you own the state as your personal property. You give to who you want and you deny who you do not want to deny because you are there as a keeper, you are there to serve people and not people to serve you.

“I think it is important for us to now look at why our leaders don’t do what they ought to do. When they are in office, they do whatever they want to do, nobody checks you, nobody tells you that you are wrong. Make amendments.

“After four or eight years, you leave the office. I will say as a soldier, a military man, soldier come, soldier go, barracks remain. And as religious leaders, we should know that nothing is permanent. We will all leave this world whether we like it or not and we will go with nothing”, he added.

Also speaking, President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Co-chairman of NIREC, Archbishop Daniel Okoh preached on the importance of love, citing Matthew chapter seven verse 37 to 39.

In his words, “We must go back to the teachings of the Holy Books. In Christianity and in the Holy Bible, Jesus Christ our Lord, in response to the question by a lawyer, about what is the first and greatest commandment, he said and I quote, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul and with all thy mind.

This is the first and great commandment”, and our Lord continued, and he said, and the second is like unto it, Thou shall love your neighbour, as you love yourself.

“From what we experience today, it is obvious that there is a deviation from the love of God or maybe to the love of money that Apostle Paul warned us that it is the root of all evil in 1st Timothy chapter six verse 10. He said and I quote, “For the love of money is the root of all evil; which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows”.

The CAN president further urged leaders to cut down their crave for materialism and be a model to the younger generation.

“The challenge and the task before us, therefore, is to give a strong and fair moral leadership to bring down the altar of materialism and champion the movement to change the orientation that worships materialism in our people so that systemic corruption can be reduced with the lowest levels.

“The theme of this quarterly meeting is ‘the role of religious leaders in combating corruption and cybercrime’. It is hoped that this will afford us the opportunity to sincerely evaluate our leadership at various levels and encourage one another, to continue in our commitment to work towards a better society for all”, he said.

On his part, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume advised Nigerian workers to be committed in tackling corruption and cybercrime so as to restore the nation’s value and integrity.

Declaring the meeting open, the SGF said, “Currently the new minimum wage is being negotiated by a tripartite committee . I must quickly add that to enjoy the gains of all these efforts, workers must remain on deck to fight corruption, cybercrime and associated criminal differences for the purpose of restoring our values and national integrity”.