…says Tinubu is a detribalised Nigerian
A socio-cultural organisation, the Yoruba Welfare Group has cautioned mischief makers who are pretending as political analysts and critics to heat up the polity.
The caution comes on the heels of an interview granted by a Northern-based Mallam Mahdi Shehu and public lecture of a notable Sheikh Murtala Bello Asada-Sokoto and the likes.
YWG National President, Abdulhakeem Adegoke Alawuje expressed disappointment in Mallam Shehu who though claimed to be a critic but was practically speaking as a member of opposition party who refused to see anything good in all Tinubu’s actions and appointments.
He also condemned Sheikh Asada-Sokoto who desecrated his pulpit by pandering to ethnicity in his criticism of the President.
“As a Yoruba man from the Southwest, but who has spent the large part of his life in the North, and who understands Hausa language, one cannot but he seriously disappointed in the outburst of Sheikh Asada-Sokoto in the public.
“The nation will be doomed if the likes of Mallam Shehu, a medical practitioner turned critic pandered to primordial sentiment, and a religious leader who lay claim to believing in the message of Prophet Muhammad are allowed to engage in the spreading of hatred and preaching of tribalism.
“It doesn’t behold a religious leaders of such standing to be spewing garbage on the public space. It is rather unfair on his part because it is too early to be making speculations, as well as wrongful and unsubstantiated allegations in public. Fueling ethnicity will not be in favour of anyone.”
Alawuje urged Mallam Shehu and Sheikh Asada-Sokoto to start seeing all Nigerians as brothers and sisters, rather than fan the ember of hatred and tribalism that can only leads to destruction.
He emjoined the unscrupulous critics to use many legitimate means to channel their grievances, using refined language rather than hide under criticisms to preach ethnicity, saying such disposition could lead a Muslim completely out of Islam.
YWG National President reminded tribalists and hate preachers to remember the cordial but delicate relationship that had existed between the North and the Southern part of Nigeria which has existed for more than two hundred and fifty years, nothing that our fore fathers had maintained the peaceful and harmonious relationship for centuries.
“I want us to remember that ethnicity is highly detestable in the sight of Allah. It is expressly condemned by the Holy Qur’an. Why then should an acclaimed religious leader call to it?
“It is disheartening listening to some of the divisive utterances and series of open venomous videos of secularists like Mallam Mahdi Shehu and some Islamic scholars like Asada-Sokoto. It’s indeed very unfortunate.
“Man is naturally imperfect. No one is impeccable among us as humans. How then can someone assume the toga of perfection while condemning the actions of others? Taking the President to the cleaners for almost all his actions serve no one any good except people who are working behind the scene to destabilise the government for selfish reasons. What is paramount to us as a people and a group is to ensure peaceful coexistence among the nationalities in this union called Nigeria. The role some of us played in recent times around 2021 and 2022 was a testimony to this.
“For instance, we challenged and engaged ethnic agitators of western Nigeria extraction. We do not hate them but we condemned their agitation in our quest for a united and formidable nation. Throughout President Muhammad Buhari’s government, we rose against some of our governors who in their folly, disrespected and disregarded President Muhammad Buhari as Nigerian president.
“Today, Tinubu is in same position as a president and a father to all Nigerians. He certainly deserves respect and regard from everyone.
“Nigerian heroes of the past sacrificed everything within their capabilities, leading the country to where we are today as one nation. Some of us are happy to be part of this team which is poised to liberating this country to a pride of place in the committee of advanced nations.
“After the sacrifices of our past heroes, we have had our own share of “ups and downs” and “backs and forths” in our quest to berth a great nation of our dream.
“Subsequently, we have been praying to witness a visionary and missionary reformer like Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Thank God we now have one and thank God we are part of the struggle.
“We pray the Almighty to assist, protect, preserve and guide Asiwaju Tinubu and all of us who are ready to sacrifice everything to get the system working. We have no other country to call ours. We should criticise the President, but we should avoid ethnic profiling.
Yoruba Welfare Group is again pleading to all Nigerians to refrain from any action capable of threatening the coorperate existence of this nation. We don’t have any other nation we can call ours. Let us guide it jealousy.
“Some of the scholars who preach on the altar with hate speech and messages of ethnicity and sectionalism against other ethnic groups should know that some of their messages are capable of setting the entire country on fire.
As a socio-cultural Group, the mission of YWG is to inculcate and spread the spirit of unity, love and harmony across the country.
Let’s do everything within our scope to eliminate tribalism, factionalism and sectionalism amongst ourselves. This is the heavenly way and a glorious path.
Alawuje stressed that Tnubu is not someone that is aversed to criticisms and advised hate preachers and tribalists to channel their grievances appropriately so they could get results.
“If we start this way at this early period of Tinubu’s administration, it may create more hatred within the polity which we may not be able to defend before the Almighty Allah.
“Tinubu is still less than hundred days in office, engagimg in destructive and damaging criticism at this stage may amount to plucking unripe fruits for a dinner. It won’t be palatable”, he said.
