Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Abubakar Sa’ad, has reawakened the consciousness of Nigerians to the need to regularly obey court judgment irrespective of who it favors.
The Sultan was happy that the Nigerian court system was structured in a way that one could appeal a judicial pronouncement at a superior court if the person feels uncomfortable or unsatisfied with the court judgment.
He maintained that no nation can grow politically, economically and enjoy peace and unity when its government or influential citizens choose which court order to obey based on how it favours them or their associates.
Speaking at the 2019 last quarterly meeting of religious leaders under the umbrella of Nigerian Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), the Sultan who is the Co-Chairman of NIREC, cautioned against the devastating effects of disobedience to court pronouncement and bad precedent it will set for unborn generations.
He said: “We must regularly obey and respect the laws of our land. We should never disregard the laws to avoid the consequences. If a court makes a judicial pronouncement on a particular matter, it should be obeyed to the later. If you have any problem or disagree with the pronouncement, the next step is to appeal the pronouncement instead of disregarding or violating court judgments.
“If you are served a court order and you deliberately refused to obey it because you are a governor, president or any influential person, then you are setting a dangerous precedent. There’s no society that will prosper through lawlessness. Citizens must be law abiding so that we can achieve the desired development.”
He appreciated the role of the religious leaders throughout the year particularly as it concerns the 2019 elections, and challenged the citizenry to always ensure that outcome of the quarterly meeting of NIREC is properly put to use for the betterment of Nigeria.
He insisted that Nigerians should regularly show religious understanding instead of tolerance, which does not do good to all.
Meanwhile, the Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, in his remarks, appreciated the efforts of NIREC in strengthening religious peace and harmony in Nigeria, and assured them that government will continue to support any cause that would promote greater interaction and understanding among religious leaders and their followers, as well as lay solid foundations for sustainable peace and religious harmony in the country.
He added: “Time has come for government to discuss issues of religious tolerance and peaceful co-existence with religious and traditional rulers, because the success or failure of security administration in Nigeria depends largely on both institutions.”