Food scarcity fuelling insecurity in Nigeria, says Sultan

The Sultan of Sokoto, Mohammed Saad Abubakar, has called attention to worsening food scarcity, which is fuelling insecurity in Nigeria.

He stated this on Thursday in Gombe State during the third National Summit of Peaceful Co-existence and Nation Building organised by Da’wah Coordination Council of Nigeria under the theme, ‘Peaceful Co-existence Social Cohesion and National Development’.

He said, “So many people are hungry because they can’t afford food prices which keep going high.

“Without food, you can’t have peace; without peace, you can’t have security; without security you can’t have development; and without development, you are just a bunch of people sitting down together.

“Therefore, we must rise up to the occasion, whatever it will cost. A hungry man is an angry man.”

Also speaking, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, who was represented at the event by Rev. Father Joseph Shinga, said, “Nigeria is going through turbulent times, in terms of social integration and cohesion. Suspicion here and there, religious bigotry and sentiments are on the rise. We need to co-exist in peace.”

On his part, the Gombe State Governor Muhammadu Yahaya, said, “I attribute three quarter of the failure of the system to the leadership. The ordinary man too has his own problem; the problem will be there until we tell ourselves the brutal truth and face it head on in order to solve the problem.”

The Sultan had also during a courtesy visit to the Gombe State governor at the Government House urged political leaders to be fair and just in their dealings.

He noted the annual Islamic conference was meant to bring out the message of peace, stability, peaceful co-existence to Muslims and other believers in the country