Fiery
Catholic Priest, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka has warmly welcomed the Sultan of
Sokoto at the Michael Okpara Square, Enugu, venue of the grand
reception in honour of Enugu Rangers.
Father Mbaka greeting Sultan of Sokoto at the event
Influential Catholic Priest, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka, and the Sultan
of Sokoto, Alhaji Mohammad Sa’ad Abubakar IV, on Monday, met at the
Michael Okpara Square in Enugu, the venue of the grand reception in
honour of of the 2015/2016 Nigerian Professional Football League
Champions, the Enugu Rangers International Football club.
According to Vanguard, both religious leaders who were at the
reception organized by Enugu state government, reportedly preached for
religious tolerance across regions in Nigeria.
Father Mbaka and Enugu state governor
The sultan who first spoke during the event, said that Islam does
not permit anybody to kill in the name of religion, maintaining that
anybody who kills in the name of religion should be held as a criminal
and treated as such.
He also said that President Muhammadu Buhari is misunderstood to be
biased about some sections of the country, noting that his interaction
with the President does not portray him as a religious or ethnic bigot.
The Sultan said: “If anybody commits any crime, he should be
given his real name. It is not possible that Fulani who have lived here
for so long can take up arms against their hosts.
"Branding them terrorists will not solve the problem. If you
kill, you will be killed, anybody that kills in the name of religion is a
criminal. The solution for us is to come together as one people. Any
Fulani that kills will not go free. More Muslims have even died in this
cause."
In his speech, Fr. Mbaka said that with the Sultan’s speech, he has
changed his perceptions of Nigeria and religious differences.
He said: “We were biased unnecessarily, we were fighting
unnecessarily. Sultan has come to build a bridge. Your coming here has
succeeded in quenching a looming war. Your coming represents peace and
unity.”
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