Nigeria can further excel in its current status as Africa’s giant when its citizens support and demand good leadership at all levels, Islamic scholar Mufti Menk, has said.
Speaking shortly after he and his delegation emerged from a closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Menk said, “If you look at the countries that have failed, it’s because they don’t respect their leadership…but if we are going to rally behind the leadership and ensure that every one of us contributes positively to this nation, Nigeria can be the best nation in Africa.”
He emphasized the need for Nigerians to become a united force, respecting and appreciating their leaders to propel the nation toward unparalleled success.
He said, “We need to be a united people; we need to respect each other, the leadership that we have, we should appreciate it, we should acknowledge it.
“We should understand that if we are going to respect our leadership, we will be able to achieve as a nation.”
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Drawing on the lessons from other nations, Mufti Menk pointed out a critical factor for national success, saying, “If you look at the countries that have failed, it’s because they don’t respect their leadership and they actually fail as a result.”
He urged Nigerians to take a different path by supporting their leaders, which he believes can make Nigeria the best African nation.
Referencing his African roots, the cleric remarked on Nigeria’s potential and the respect it commands on the continent, noting, “Myself being an African coming from Zimbabwe, we always look at Nigeria as one of the biggest economies, if not the biggest in Africa.”
He encouraged Nigerians to be upright and honest in their service to the nation, which could set a shining example for the rest of Africa.
Menk also discussed his purpose of visiting Nigeria, revealing he is “here for the peace and unity convention that is going to be taking place in Abuja this weekend.”
He also noted that the Abuja version of the convention, which was also held in Lagos last week, is to “empower Nigeria as such to live together in harmony, to coexist, to respect each other with the differences be it from different faiths and backgrounds in order to see the success of this nation.”
Concluding his briefing with a call to action and a prayer for the nation, Mufti Menk said, “I believe it is the right time to be upright and honest and to serve the nation and, in this way, we will be able to be a shining example for the rest of Africa.
“I always pray that we can be upright citizens and that we will achieve more than we’ve actually dreamt of.”
The Ameer/President of 1-Ummah, Abubakar Mohammed and other Islamic Scholars were on the delegation, including Ustadh Wael Ibrahim, Dr Muhammad Salah and Sheikh Ammar Al-Shukry.
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