Sultan, CAN president, others visit Makinde, preach religious tolerance

The Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, the President, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), His Eminence, Rev. Dr. Supo Ayokunle and other members of Nigeria Inter-religious Council (NIREC) on Thursday visited the governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde.

 The religious leaders who spoke during a visit to the governor at his office in Ibadan identified religious tolerance as the only panacea to numerous ethnic challenges facing Nigerians.

 While speaking, Sultan commended the governor for uplifting the state by taking it to greater heights.

 He said:  “I am not a visitor to Ibadan and Oyo State but a bonafide family member of this state because as a young officer, I served from the remote areas of the state and I know Ibadan very well.

 “By the way, I am the chancellor of the greatest University here in Ibadan. So, how can I come home and become a visitor? I don’t know whether the University of Ibadan will accept that. I am the Chancellor and very proud of the institution because of its position not only in Nigeria but in West Africa.

 “I am very proud of Ibadan, the largest city in West Africa, and I think people should really come in and see the difference in what it used to be in those days of our nationhood and the new Ibadan and Oyo State, and the peace you are enjoying here now. I believe this is simply based on understanding. We keep on telling our people to understand and tolerate one another, which is a better way to live as one big family. That is why the theme of this quarterly meeting is apt and widely chosen.”

 Also, speaking, the CAN president, who said that there had been religious harmony in Oyo State, added that people had been living together in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility.

Earlier, the governor of the state said his administration would continue to maintain the religious harmony and peaceful co-existence in the state despite the religious diversity in the state.