Enugu Hausa Leader Begs Hosts: ‘Let’s Be One’

The leader of the northern community in Enugu State, HRH Sarki Yusuf Sambo has appealed to residents to appreciate the diversity of the country see non-indigenes and Muslims in the State as brothers and sisters.

Speaking with THE WHISTLER in Enugu, Sambo, who is also the Sarkin Hausa in the state as well as member of the Enugu State Peace and Security Committee, was reacting to recent allegation that Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi was planning to build a Muslim Centre in the State Capital.

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“We are one people from one Creator. Let’s concentrate on things that unite us because we have been united divinely by God. I woke up to see myself as Muslim; you might have seen yourself as Christian by birth also.

“The state government is not building any mosque, and I want to denounce it through this medium again. It is a project carried on by the Muslim Ummah just to cover the front of the place.”

He described the recent brouhaha over an alleged building of a mosque by the state government as a handiwork of mischief-makers and the opposition, and said it would not be out of place if Gov. Ugwuanyi embarks on such a project because ‘he is a governor whose relationship cuts across religions and ethnicity’.

He said, “I was born and bred in Enugu. I had my education here. We inter-marry here. Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s regime has been outstanding in maintaining a harmonious relationship with other ethnic nationalities in this country. If we have such across the federation, Nigeria would have been a better place to live.”

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On the mosque, the royal father said, “The truth is that the Muslim community are building a structure on the said land to avoid encroachment during prayers. That caused the protest from some quarters.

“More or less, I know that Christianity renders help to non-Christians. It is also in the Quran. Even if Gov. Ugwuanyi assists Muslim community, there should be nothing wrong about that. We have seen such hands of fellowship in Sokoto, Zamfara and Borno states. Borno state governor recently appointed an Igbo man into his cabinet.

“He also promoted and rewarded an Igbo woman for being an exemplar in the state civil service. Gov. Ugwuanyi does same in many ways. We are one people from one Creator.”

It would be recalled that there were outcries recently that the Enugu State government was embarking on building a mosque at Uwani axis of the metropolis, which authorities of the state however denied.

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