By Akinwale Kasali

The Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa has urged the electorate to focus on the need for better governance.

Obasa implored Nigerians to shun religious sentiments that include Muslim-Muslim or Christian-Christian tickets, and focus on the betterment of Nigerians, growth and development of the Nation at large.

Obasa gave the charge on Wednesday at the 14th Annual Hijrah Lecture organised by Lagos State House of Assembly.

Corroborating the view of the Speaker were the Guest Speakers at the event which included popular Islamic Cleric and Chief Imam of Offa, Kwara State, Sheik Muyideen Salman Husayn; Hon. Justice Abdurraheem Ahmad Sayi, a Kadi of Sharia Court of Appeal, Kwara State; and Sheikh Ishaq Mustapha Zuglool Sunuusi, Head of Academics, Daru Dawah Wal Irshad Arabic Centre, Isolo.

According Mr Speaker, even though it has been argued that religion and politics are intertwined, it has been noted that religion has never been a determinant in the development of many countries that are currently doing great.

“All over the world where democracy is being practised, it has been established that good governance is not really determined by their religions. In countries like India, Singapore, China and most of the democratic states in Asia and some other parts of the world where neither Islam nor Christianity is being practised, it is gratifying to note that good governance is seen all around them.

“Even here in Africa before the advent of both Islam and Christianity, we had good and steady democratic setting with our traditional beliefs. It is now worrisome, however, that we allow religion to dictate to us how democracy should be practised,” Obasa said.

He argued that the spiritual core of democratic governance is the obligation to serve the people with godly principles and noble objectives.

“People should understand that whoever will be fair, just and is visionary, who can look back and identify good people to form a team with, in order to achieve success is someone who should be of concern to us in a democratic state to  lead, not religion.

“There is no doubt that Nigeria is at a most precarious phase in its existence as a nation. These are indeed trying times for Nigeria and Nigerians. We should focus more on how the failure of politics and faith has compromised the unravelling of the Nigerian project.

“Therefore, at this time when Nigeria stands at its most critical juncture in history regarding next year general elections, there is a crucial call for religious bodies to deploy their collective spiritual energies in not only undermining the negative forces of nepotism and dysfunctionality, but in positively enhancing the development of Nigeria.

“Whether the political party contesting is running on Muslim-Muslim ticket or Christian-Christian ticket and otherwise, our focus should be the good intentions of the contestants. Let us not allow any politician to bamboozle us with religion as a determining factor for who we will choose as our leaders.

“In fact, as enshrined in the Constitution of Nigeria being a secular state, there is no provision for the elevation of a particular form of religion over another, let alone which one should be in charge of the government. Instead, what we have is freedom of religion,” he added.

On his part, Justice Sayi said the primary role and responsibilities of religious leaders is to teach, guide, educate and emancipate the minds of premodial sentiments like tribalism, nepotism and the rest that affect the minds.

“Message of unity and humanity should take the lead of what should come out of religious houses, whether churches or mosques. Religious leaders should know that God has created us equally and they should also know that nobody has been created superior. The first most important responsibility of pastors and Imams is to lead the people to virtue,” he said.

In his own lecture, Sheikh Sunuusi, noted that Islam urges co-habitation and co-operation with others for the benefit of the society.

“Islam says we should not cheat any other person,” he said as he punctured the arguments of those against Muslim/Muslim ticket with how situations had sprung up Christian-Christian governments in the past.

Explaining the idea behind the topic, the chairman of 14th Hijrah lecture, Hon. Adams Noheem Babatunde, said it had become imperative for religious leaders to tread softly and preach unity.

“This is not the time for teachings that would polarise us. We expect people of influence to always emphasise peace and unity at all times,” he said.

By Akinwale Kasali

Human Rights Activist and foremost Environmentalist, Ann-Kio Briggs, has lashed All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for having the audacity to visit former President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and seek his support in actualizing his 2023 Presidential ambition.

Briggs described the former Lagos State Governor and APC National Leader as shameless and lacks integrity.

The Environmentalist noted that Tinubu should be ashamed of himself for consulting Jonathan over his Presidential race a few years after heaping verbal attacks and insults on the former President and his wife, Patience, because he was a minority President from Ijaw in the Niger Delta.

She added that Tinubu was one of the opponents of the Jonathan administration, who mobilised opposition against him and called him all sorts of derogatory names.

“Politics in Nigeria is a filthy game about personalities, not about the people, if not, Tinubu should be too ashamed to visit Jonathan and sit down on the chair in his house.

“This is a man (Tinubu) that cannot differentiate between politics of ideology and shameful politics. They hauled insults at him (Jonathan), they hauled insults at his wife.

“They constructed effigies to mock Jonathan; they organised ‘Occupy Nigeria’ and paraded with coffins and did all kinds things against Jonathan. Today, they are shamelessly visiting Jonathan, sitting on his chair in his house.”

Showering encomiums on the humility, maturity and elder statesman attitude of Jonathan, Briggs  described Jonathan as “a kind-hearted man and Ijaw son” who had been vindicated on many fronts, stressing that he had acknowledged while in office that he was the most insulted and abused president.

The Niger Delta born activist said that Tinubu and his ilk should realise that the oil and gas resources in Jonathan’s Niger Delta remained the sources of their feeding and wellbeing of Nigeria, adding that “after all the insults, calling him clueless, they are now visiting Jonathan and sitting in his house.”

She had earlier on her  Facebook page, expressed similar views, saying that all anti-Jonathan elements, including the APC Presidential candidate, would have their payback time.

She stated that Tinubu could not hate Ijaw people in 2015 when Jonathan lost his re-election bid and hope to achieve victory in the forthcoming Presidential poll in Ijaw land.

Briggs further said, “One by one, from top to bottom, they all go back to Jonathan to receive their shovel of hot coal on their heads. I will tell the APC/Tinubu for free that if Ijaws vote for him, it will not be at a level for him to claim victory in Ijaw nation. He cannot hate Ijaws in 2015 and expect Ijaws to vote for him in 2023. Jonathan is an Ijaw son and man, but all Ijaws are not Jonathan.

“Go and collect your debt from Buhari, Jonathan no get vote for you inside our creeks, swamps and mangroves. Ijaw youths are not going to eat the corn and groundnut you are offering, we have enough plantain, fish and all the oil and gas we need to import all we want to eat.”