Tunde Omolehin, Sokoto
The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Abubakar Sa’ad lll, has called on Nigerians to emulate the role being played by the National Youth Scheme Corps (NYSC) in promoting peace and unity in Nigeria.
He described the scheme as a catalyst of promoting national unity, mutual respect, religious tolerance as well as bringing harmony for the advancement of the country.
The Sultan made this call when he received the newly-posted NYSC State Coordinator, Mr. Philip Enaberue, who paid him a courtesy visit in his palace.
According to the Sultan, if Nigerians had embraced one another and forget their differences as demonstrated by Corps members during national service, the country would have been better off by now.
The Sultan said despite persistent crises occasioned by intolerance and mistrust existing in some parts of the country, NYSC scheme still remained a veritable tool for unifying the nation.
His words, “If Nigerians would embrace the spirit of oneness and live with one another harmoniously like corps members, issues of diversity will not even arise.
“We should live as our brothers’ keepers and tolerate one another irrespective of our backgrounds,” he explained.
The monarch further extolled the scheme’s resilience for maintaining its objective of promoting unity especially among youths who are the bedrock of any nation.
He thanked Enaberue and his entourage for the visit and assured them of the usual support and assistance rendered to corps members to make their stay in the state memorable.
The Sultan told the state coordinator that his door was wide open for him to approach the Sultanate any time.
Earlier in his remarks, Enaberue had informed the Sultan that he was not a new visitor to Sokoto, but rather, he was only ‘returning home’.
Enaberue expressed happiness for the Sultan’s prompt approval to receive him on courtesy call. He said that the visit was chiefly to seek Royal blessings and fatherly support to the scheme in the state and the entire country in general.
Enaberue also used the opportunity to appreciate the support that the NYSC scheme had been enjoying from the Sultanate Council.