THINGS GETTING OUT OF HAND - Aisha Buhari

Mrs. Buhari also called for the regulation of social media, noting that China with about 1.3 billion people had done so.

The President’s wife, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, has slammed state governors for failing to provide basic social amenities and infrastructure, noting that things were getting out of hand.

The wife of the President spoke at the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs General Assembly and National Executive Council Meeting held at the National Mosque in Abuja on Friday.

She said, “We should either fasten our seatbelt or do the needful or we will all regret it very soon because, at the rate things are going, things are getting completely out of hand. The VP (Yemi Osinbajo) is here, some ministers are here, they are supposed to do justice to the situation.

“People cannot afford potable water in this country while we have governors. Since this is the highest decision-making body of Islamic affairs, for those that are listening, we should fear God, and we should know that one day, we will return to God and account for our deeds here on earth.”

Mrs Buhari also called for the regulation of social media, noting that China with about 1.3 billion people had done so, stressing that many people could not relax in their villages due to insecurity.

“On this issue of social media, you cannot just sit in the comfort of your house and tweet that the Vice President has resigned. It is a serious issue. If China can control over 1.3 billion people on social media, I see no reason why Nigeria cannot attempt controlling only 180 million people,” she added.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in his address admonished Nigerians to be their brother’s keeper regardless of their religious affiliation, noting that all Nigerians are equal.

Osinbajo said, “It is my view that the weight of ensuring that this country is on the right track is on our leaders. We should be our brother’s keeper no matter the religion. We should always be ready to make sacrifices for one another. We have religious and tribal tension in this country; many are beating the drum of ethnic and religious war. We are at a historic juncture of our nation.”

The NSCIA President and the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar said the nation must come together to address its challenges, insisting that girl child education and the almajiri phenomenon must be addressed urgently.

He disagreed with the calls for social media regulation, stating that there were laws to deal with the abuse of the platforms.

Osinbajo spoke on the topic ‘The Role of Islam in the Development of a Multi-religious and Multi-ethnic Nation.’

He said, “Nations are built by the sacrifices, hard work of leaders who do not care even if they are condemned by persons of their own religion or ethnicity, so long as they are confident they act in obedience to the oaths they swore and to the Almighty God.

The VP cited the example of President Muhammadu Buhari, whose tolerance, he said, portrayed how to promote religious harmony.

He added, “Every Sunday, my family and over 100 Christians attend service in the chapel at the Villa. The chapel is located on the premises of the President and his family. It is located a few seconds away from the First Lady’s kitchen.

“Sometimes, when I see the President on a Sunday morning, he asks me whether the service is over already or I am escaping from the service. That is the sort of tolerance that we need in a multi-ethnic, multi-religious society and it is the duty of leaders to show that sort of example.”