By Sunny Anderson Osiebe
Muslim Clerics under the auspices of the Council of Ulama of Nigeria, on
Tuesday lauded the cooperation between the Senate and the Executive in
the fight against terrorism in the country.
The Council made the commendation when its leadership and members
visited the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, in Abuja.
The Secretary General of the Council, Professor Mohammed Sadiq Abubakar,
who stated this in his remarks, also said the cooperation contributed
in no small measure in defeating terrorists and insurgents in the North
East.
He urged the two arms of government (executive and legislature), to
further strengthen their relationship "as it is the people at the grass
roots that will suffer from any quarrel between them."
"We are happy about the fence mending and reconciliation efforts of the
President with the Senate. I was happy when I read in the newspapers
about the Senate President saying that there is no quarrel between the
executive and the Senate," he said.
He however traced the origin of the legislature to the time of Prophet
Mohammed, when he set up a people's Assembly comprising representatives
of muslims and non Muslims when he migrated to Medina.
The Council of Ulama of Nigeria, he said was established 31 year ago to
unite the Ulama from all the Islamic sects for the purpose of stability
of the Islamic religion and the nation, saying that, "our membership is
drawn from all Islamic sects without any form of discrimination."
On his part, the Chairman of the Council, Sheik Abdullahi Abubakar
Tureta, commended the Senate President for his patience and resoluteness
in the face of political travail since his emergence as Senate
President.
"We praise you for that and we are not surprised looking at your family
background and we urge you to continue to be patient and persevere as
the Almighty Allah promised to be with the patient one," Tureta said.
While reminding the Senate President about the burden of leadership,
Tureta added that the welfare of all Nigerians has been placed on both
the executive and the legislature, "If the two of you cooperate,
everything will go well with the country, but if you work at
cross-purposes, only the Almighty God knows what will befall the
country."
Responding, the Senate President commended the Council for uniting all
Islamic scholars under one umbrella that has contributed immensely to
the stability and progress of not only the Islamic religion but that of
the nation.
He expressed the commitment of the Senate to make the county better by
passing laws that make would positive impact in the life of the
citizenry.
Saraki said: "We are trying our best to ensure that we pass laws that
will make direct positive impacts on Nigerians. I want to also use is
opportunity to assure you that whatever laws we pass here, will be
sensitive to the religious values of the whole Nigeria.
"I say that again, whatever laws we pass here, will be respectful to the
course and religious beliefs of our people. We will not do anything
that will in anyway go against that," he said.
He further stated that the Senate is working hard to replicate the
successes achieved in the fight against terrorism, in the fight against
corruption and the revamping the economy.
"We thank God for the success we have made in the fight against
corruption and I am sure that the progress will be extended to the
economy in order to put this country in a better place," he said.
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