Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammed Sa’ad Abubakar III took the complaint of Muslims in Nigeria, of marginalisation in the composition of the ongoing National Conference, to President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa today.
The Sultan, leading top ranking members of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (SCIA), held a closed door meeting with the President.
After about 2 hours meeting, the Sultan emerged from the President’s office and went straight to his jeep without looking even at the side of the newsmen that were rushing at him wanting his comment on how the meeting went.
However, the Secretary-General of SCIA, Ustaz Ishaq Oloyede told newsmen that President Jonathan assured them that he would look critically into the complaint of marginalisation.
“What we came to discuss with the President is to consult with him on the complaints of Muslims in this country and he has given us reasons to re-assure the Muslims that Muslims in Nigeria are not deliberately marginalized. He asked us to convey the feelings of the government: of the genuineness of the government, the fairness of the government to the entire populace.”
Ustaz Ishaq said that the President assured them that if there are issues that are not supposed to be as they ought to be, the government would look into such issues, adding that they would believe that President Jonathan was frank with them.
“But we also want to believe that it is proper to protest, just also as it is proper to assume that a leader will always be just even if there are mistakes thereafter.
“We just felt that we must convey the feelings of the Muslims in Nigeria to Mr. President and he has given us his words to re-assure the Muslim community that he is a genuine and committed Christian who will not be unjust to others.”
Also speaking to newsmen, the Special Adviser on Islamic Affairs to the President, Tahir Umar Tahir said that the President has assured the Muslim leaders that he would look into the matter.
