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There Will Be No War In Nigeria-Sultan

Published

4 years ago

May 19, 2021

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar has said the country will not go into war again despite agitations from different quarters calling for the disintegration of the country.

The Sultan who was speaking at the Second Quarterly Meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) in Abuja, said he would always advocate for dialogue as a way to achieve peace.

“People have been talking about war, there will not be war in Nigeria, who is going to fight who? In families we have Christians and Muslims, you have ethnic nationalities in your country, you have inter-married.

“So, all these noise people are making is trying to draw attention to what they can get out of this country, and if you look at them, they are in minority.

“In this country, there are excellent people that mean well for common man and humanity, and that is what God created us to do,” he said.

The Sultan who is also the Co-chairman of NIREC said he is a believer of dialogue which his religion taught him.

“So, let’s continue to work together, let’s continue to sit together, let’s continue to dialogue, am a total believer in dialogue and nothing will change my mind because my religion teaches me to always dialogue and I believe no problem is too big enough not to be resolved when we sit down and talk because even wars are fought to bring peace but if you know you can bring peace without fighting war, then why do you have to take up arms.

“Peace is the most important aspect of our lives because without peace we can’t even worship.”

He, however, acknowledged that things are bad in the country, as insecurity has affected the country’s growth adversely.

“It is a very trying time for our country Nigeria with so many reasons, most notably insecurity which does not allow anybody to do what he or she wants and at the time and place he or she wants.

“That’s why we are very worried with the way things are in our Great country at this time because things are really very stressful and there is no doubt about it, and you don’t have to tell anybody things are bad, and I believe that the authorities know much more better than us,” he added.

On his part, the President of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Reverend Samson Ayokunle said insecurity has paralyzed activities across the country.

Reverend Ayokunle who is also the Co-chairman of NIREC said food security is been threatened as farmers are being killed by bandits in their farms.

“Many things are not right with the nation, the most challenging one today is insecurity which has almost paralyzed all human activities apart from the havoc the restriction brought about by Covid-19 has done.

“To travel short distance today calls for serious prayers, and traveling with perhaps every security personnel because of kidnapping for ransome, ritual killing, armed robbery, insurgents attack, banditry and other forms of violent attack.

“Farmers lives are threatened on their farms while some have been killed while farming. The result of attacks on farmers is scarcity of farm products which will lead to famine if care is not taken by those in authority quickly”, he noted.

While expressing worry over the daily killings of innocent citizens, he called on religious leaders to unite and speak against the deplorable state of the nation.

He cautioned that breaking up the country may not solve the problem, but the government should be proactive in addressing issues that causes agitations.

The CAN President also called for more funding of security forces and close monitoring of how the funds are being spent.

“Intelligence gathering which we have been shouting about as panacea to the activities of the criminals and in order to identify where these criminals are has never been taken seriously by the government both federal and state.

“Religious leaders, this is the time for us to unite and speak in unison against all these evils before being wiped away by the criminals.

“The daily blood shed is worrisome and must stop, while we commend our security forces for doing their best, we urge the government to fund them better and monitor the utilization of such fund so that it might be spent on what it is released for.

“Breaking the nation into fragments may not be the answer, however, proactiveness of those in power to prevent the causes of agitation for secession is the right step to keep the nation as one,” he added.

On his part, the Secretary to the government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha said the level of insecurity in Nigeria is so high that religious and traditional rulers must assist the government to tackle it.

Mustapha who was represented by the Permanent Security in his office, Morris Mbaeri said “in every ethnic group, there are good people and there are criminal elements. While the leaders in each ethnic group should caution their children, religious leaders should publicly reject the ideology of those who claim to be killing in the name of religion by giving counter narrative.

He charged NIREC to go beyond statutory meetings to assisting government with useful information “because security is the concern of everybody, no matter where you come from and the religion you practice.

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ITPN FCT Chapter Ends 3-Day Executive Retreat For Professional Impact, Industry Growth

Published

4 days ago

October 28, 2025

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The executive members of the Institute for Tourism Professionals of Nigeria (ITPN), FCT Chapter, led by the Chairperson, Dr. Fatima Obadaki Sule, have successfully concluded a transformative three-day retreat focused on advancing the 7-point agenda that took cognisance of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for the socio economic growth and development of the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja in particular and the country as a whole through tourism, hospitality and allied trades sector held in Abuja over the weekend.

In a statement jointly signed by Chairman, ITPN, FCT Chapter Dr. Fatima Obadaki Sule, _FITPN and Publicity Sec. ITPN, FCT Chapter Ahmed Mohammed Sule on Tuesday in Abuja

In his remarks as special guest of honour who also declared the retreat opened, the National President of ITPN, Chief Abiodun Odusanwo, called on the leadership of the FCT Chapter of the Institute to lead by example and ensure the interests and objectives of the Institute come first in running the affairs of the Chapter, noting that advancing best professionalism practices amongst all the members should be the guiding principle.

Chief Odusanwo further reiterated that, as torch bearers of the Institute in the nation’s capital, they should constantly seek for collaboration and cooperation between the public and private sector stakeholders and key operators to promote the ideals of professionalism, skills and capacity development, career upscaling and industry best practices that the Institute firmly stands for,

While applauding the idea of holding retreat, he noted the exercise as very apt and timely and a dynamic platform for strategic discussions and collaborative engagement among the EXCOs, aimed at repositioning the chapter for greater professional impact and industry leadership in the travel tourism, hospitality and allied trades in the nation’s capital in line with the federal government’s desire for country’s economic diversification through tourism as the main hub of the non-oil sector.

Earlier in her welcome address, Dr. Fatima Obadaki Sule stated that the idea behind the retreat was to enable members of her executive team to be abreast of her vision and mission statement in the successful piloting of the affairs of the Chapter which she wrapped up in her 7- Points agenda, adding that it explicitly summed up the goals and objectives of the Institute as a body of practising tourism professionals in the country and her utmost goal of placing the FCT chapter of the Institute above all the chapters as the Kapital Centre of Excellence in Tourism.

She reeled out her 7-point agenda, which formed the core of the retreat and includes:

Organize fitness sessions and mental awareness campaigns, mentorship program for youth, strengthen collaboration with key stakeholders, promote sustainable tourism and leverage technological innovations, enhance professional development, raise awareness of tourist attractions in FCT and support local entrepreneurs.

She then solicited for the support and active participation of members of the executive present at the retreat which she said was crucial for the success of the Institute in achieving progress and moving forward as a professional body.

During the three days’ retreat which began on Friday 24th and ended on Sunday 26th, executive members shared insights, reviewed operational practices in the industry sector, proffered laudable ideas and suggestions as well as mapped out actionable plans to achieve the objectives of the 7- Points agenda.

The Retreat proper was kick started with the presentation by the Guest Speaker, Dr. Taiwo Famogbiyele, Registrar of the Institute on his paper which x-rayed the 7- Points Agenda of the Chairperson of the FCT Chapter of the Institute. He noted that the Institute for Tourism Professionals of Nigeria is a body of practising professionals and a force to be reckoned with because tourism and hospitality sector remains one of the fastest growing industries and a critical driver of economic diversification, job creation and national image-building.

He noted that the retreat was critical to achieving a well-coordinated team work and for fine-tuning the program plans of the leadership of the Institute at the Chapter level for smooth implementation, adding that it will enhance team unity and cohesion, bring about clear and measurable action framework and improve accountability, programme visibility/sustainability and concluded with a step by step exposition of the 7- Points Agenda bordering on relevance, implementable means and expected impactful outcome of each.

Key highlights of resolutions reached during the retreat among others, includes: Unity and Collaborative Actions by Members; Strategic Leadership through Participation at national events; Leveraging on Internal Expertise and Networks to tap from the resource and expertise of members in critical national programmes; Focus on 3- Pillar Strategic Framework – *Wellness and Fitness Initiatives, *Youth Mentorship and Career Development Programmes to address critical gap in hospitality and tourism education, Sustainable Tourism Practices to address environmental, social and economic sustainability; Critical Stakeholder Engagement encompassing all sub-sectors of the tourism, hospitality and allied trades; Organizational Development Imperatives involving all members; The Integration of Physical and Mental Wellbeing with dedicated sessions on incorporating regular aerobic exercises to combat work-related stress and boost overall resilience among members.

The Executive Retreat which was the first of its kind by any chapter of the Institute across the country, was highly interactive and underscored the need for robust partnerships and team work targeted at members for resilience and show of commitment for the impactful growth and development of the Institute in the interest of professionalizing the tourism sector as well as for nation building.

The retreat ended on a refreshing and uplifting note, with members recommitting to the 7-points agenda and calling for broader stakeholder involvement to foster a vibrant, inclusive tourism ecosystem in the FCT and nationwide. This initiative aligns with the President Ahmed Bola Tinubu’s national goals for sustainable development as well as position ITPN as a proactive force in Nigeria’s creative, tourism and hospitality industry.

In conclusion, members of the executive at the retreat session took time off on day 3 of the exercise and embarked on an excursion tour of one of the prolific eco-tourism spots in the nation’s capital -The Kaspaland and Kayak Resort, where they refreshed, socialized and networked with a renewed commitment to work together and foster best practices in the hospitality and tourism in collaboration with critical stakeholders to support efforts toward sustainable tourism development in Nigeria.

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