A Benue born Philanthropist Dr Mike Achadu has call for an inclusive and equitable society devoid of tribalism, ethnicity and religious extremism to foster collective unity of purpose for national development

This is contained in an open letter to the Sultan of Sokoto his Eminence,
Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III and it reads in parts; “Have written this open letter to His Eminence, I believe conversations of this magnitude
should not be confined to private rooms believing that our future must be built on equal citizenship, mutual respect for each other;

“This is not an attempt to diminish the historical importance of Sultanate to bring any religious arguments but a letter of public interest with no strings attached;

“Nigerian is characterized by great minds of extreme civilizations with political institutions which emerged as a modern sovereign state with a well defined constitution that governs us with the sokoto Caliphate which represents the important chapters;

“Your eminence, Nigeria’s constitution does not establish either Islam or Christianity, your Eminence i believe your answer is No, because in the history of the territories that eventually became Nigeria does historical political authority confer permanent political ownership;?

Section 10 of the constitution provides that in 1903 the Northern and Southern Protectorates were subsequently amalgamated into religion, ethnic group and kingdom so, Nigeria has existed over decades with the conquest of the Sokoto Caliphate culminating in that history that deserves recognition and respect;

The Government of the Federation or State shall not adopt any religion as state, They establish principles of religious neutrality, freedom and equal citizenship, Your Eminence, this is where i believe our national conversation requires greater attention so that citizens may interpret exactly the same symbolically;

“This distinction became particularly visible in Nigeria’s debate over the Muslim-Muslim region.And therefore, defending constitutional religious neutrality is not an attack on Islam neither Christianity

“A political arrangement can have two realities simultaneously: That principle protects Muslims from Christians majoritaranism just as it protects Christians from Muslims and represent an important national compact of religion among others;

“Your eminence, Strategically politicians may see a particular political ticket as an effective coalition, an may ask if political cohesion belongs to right to religion and not also an attack on Christianity based on past pricidence;

“Who is to be represented when every Nigerian fundamental human rights cannot legitimately be protected and this provisions are not merely legal technicalities but strategic reality and symbolic reality;

His eminence, another question is the inclusive and exclusive presidential ticket and what does this say about the distribution of power?

“Electoral calculation , mechanism for consolidating support or means of improving Section 42 further provides constitutional protection against discrimination; Political parties rise and fall and the strength of one faith should not require the weakness of another.The security of one community should not depend upon the insecurity of another;

“Who controls the Legislature? eventually, citizens stop asking the most important question, When a politician speaks about religion, Nigerians may suspect political calculation and each community begins to measure it’s security by amount of power;This is why i believe the Sultanate has an extraordinary opportunity;

“There is a dangerous psychological temptation in deeply divided societies that gives your words a different weight as politics has become a permanent struggle for religious arithmetic that community posseses;

“When a respected religious leader speaks about peaceful co-existence the message carries a moral authority that politics often can not achieve and equally Christianity in Nigeria does not not require the political humiliation of another Nigerian simply because of religion;

“Nigerian can not become great by producing a permanent contest between Christian and Muslim and should not need each other’s permission to belong to any institutions;

,It can become great when both religion or communities began demanding something larger by the quality of governance, protection of all citizens,

“Your eminence, I believe Nigeria’s deepest problem is not simply that Muslims distrust religious suspicion which is often the language through which that distrust expresses itself through competent political power excercised for the common good of all citizens.The ultimate measure of political leadership should not be the religion of the person;

Your eminence, the future must be therefore bigger than both Christian and Muslim been the both argument whether been Hausa,Yoruba,Igbo,Tiv,Fulani or any other ethnic nationality.May Nigeria we leave our children be a country build solid foundation upon which a truly united Nigeria with profound respect for one another irrespective of religion, ethnicity, tribe among others

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