From Paul Orude, Bauchi   

Revered Islamic cleric, Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi in this interview with Sunday Sun at his residence in Bauchi, speaks on the quest for unity among the different ethnic groups and religions in the country. The 89-year-old cleric, who escaped an assassination attempt by suspected Boko Haram members in Kaduna in 2014, opined that Nigerians, irrespective of their differences must work towards the unity of the country and warned that the country cannot afford another civil war.

Excepts:

Some are calling for the peaceful division of the country. What’s your take on this?

Those calling for the division of Nigeria are the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) members. They were born after the Nigerian civil war. Otherwise, if they had witnessed the Nigerian Civil war with their eyes, they will never agitate for things that will make Nigeria to break up or fight another civil war. I am not in support of any call for the division of this country. All what we need is unity of all the different people and religions in a true federalism. But let every group be given the freedom to hold their own opinion and ensure that their rights are not trampled upon. No group should be seen to be oppressed in any way.

What then is your advice to the leaders of this country? Because, part of the reason for the agitation for breakup is because some groups claim that they are being marginalised and treated like second class citizens in the project called Nigeria.

That is why I am saying that Nigeria’s unity must be done without any group being oppressed or feeling oppressed in any way. No single ethnic group or persons should be cheated in the project called Nigeria. There must be justice. The leaders at all levels must ensure justice.

What is your advice to President Muhamadu Buhari, now that he has recovered well from his illness?

If somebody becomes a leader of a country, God has placed immense responsibility of all the citizens of that country on him. He must, therefore, have compassion for the people. If a president has compassion for his people, God will also have compassion on him and he will enjoy his rule. Every leader must rule according to wishes of the people who elected him and once he puts that at the back of his mind, he will succeed. President Buhari knows all these. As such, he must ensure that there is justice for all.

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There is widespread poverty with the majority of Nigerians suffering. What do you think government, lawmakers should do to alleviate the poverty and suffering in the land?

You see what the government will do is different and what the people will do is different. Everyone has potential wealth inside of him but must wake up. We all have a responsibility as individuals to overcome poverty, lack and want. It is more of a personal responsibility. Every Nigerian is endowed with riches inside him. The potential to be rich is in every one of us but some people don’t want to work hard to achieve it. You only need to activate the potential in you to get that wealth or riches.

Let me give you a story to illustrate what I mean. There was a boy that went to meet an Islamic cleric to pray for him for God to give him wealth. The cleric told him to him give a paper to write something for him. He placed the paper on a dry stem of a corn and told the boy to put it in a room. He told the boy that he would become rich only if he accepts and do all the instructions that he will give him. The boy replied that anything that will make him rich, he is ready to do it.  The cleric now asked him to bring a harvester, a hoe, an axe and a sickle. He took the boy to a bush and asked him to bring the paper with him, saying to the boy, I will do some writings on the piece of paper but you must not be seen by a hen or cock otherwise it won’t work. Rise up early to go to the farm and don’t return until it is dark.

During the dry season, he gave the boy the task of breaking firewood and was gathering them until the rainy season came and he sold them and started farming from dawn to dusk. He was working during the farming season. When it was time for harvest, he instructed him to take his sickle and work and gather the harvest and sell the proceeds. He used the money to buy cattle, goats and sheep. After three years, he had accumulated enough he never even realised. When the boy showed the cleric all he had invested his money on, he told the boy that he had all this wealth inside him but just didn’t know. Unfortunately, most people experiencing poverty in Nigeria are like this boy. They are praying and waiting on God to give them wealth without working for it. They want others to take responsibility for them. It is not like that. That is why many today cheat and steal simply because they fail to realise that riches are inside them.  I call on Nigerians, particularly the youth to look inward and work hard. They must not wait for government jobs.

How can the different ethnic groups in Nigeria live in peaceful co-existence?

Like I said earlier, we must live in peace as Nigerians as God has made us to come together. There is freedom of religion in our constitution. My name is Muhammad Dahiru. Your name is Paul. From your name I can tell you are Christian and I am a Muslim. We need to live together –Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, Fulani, Christian, Muslim and so on with no fear that I will harm you or you will harm me. If we live together like this, practising our religion without compulsion, you can convert from your religion to another if you decide and are convinced at your will without being forced, then there will be peace. Christian religion preaches peace and compassion. Islam preaches peace. When true adherents of these two religions live together, there won’t be any quarrel or fight amongst them.

What is your advice as we approach the 2019 general election?

My advice is that everyone must choose leaders they love. The voters should be allowed to vote the people they love, people they will not end up abusing tomorrow. Politicians should make promises that they can keep. This is what we want.  We need peace in Nigeria. Leaders must not seek office to steal or cheat their    followers.