Sultan Decries Rising Level Of Poverty

Sultan has decried the rising level of poverty.

Glamtush reports that the Sultan of Sokoto and Chairman of the Northern Traditional Rulers Council, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, has decried the increasing level of poverty in the country, saying things are not okay in Nigeria.

This online news platform understands that Abubakar who spoke at the 6th Executive Committee Meeting of the Northern Traditional Rulers Council on Wednesday in Kaduna, said the economic hardship in Nigeria had reached a level where citizens were agitated, angry, and hungry.

He specifically warned the Federal Government that the hardship, insecurity, poverty, and unemployment in Nigeria and the North, in particular, was getting to a level where they could no longer pacify the people from revolting.

“To make matters worse, we are faced with the rising level of poverty amongst our people, lack of normal sources of livelihood for the common man to have even if it is one good meal a day.

“I believe talking of insecurity and the rising level of poverty are two issues that we cannot fold our arms and think everything is okay. I have said it so many times and at so many fora that things are not okay in Nigeria and of course, things are not okay in the North,” he said.

The Sultan called on the government to bring solutions to education, health, insecurity, and poverty problems facing the North.

He said Nigeria never lacked solutions to its problems but implementation had always been poor, seeking the current administration’s intervention in solving the nation’s numerous challenges.

“Let’s not take it for granted; people are quiet, they are quiet for a reason because people have been talking to them. We have been talking to them, we have been trying to tell them that things will be okay and they keep on believing.

“I pray to Almighty Allah that they will not one day wake up and say we no longer believe in you that would be the biggest problem. We can’t continue to keep these people quiet as traditional, spiritual leaders and diplomats forever.

“We have reached that level, people are very agitated, people are hungry, they are angry, but they still believe there are people who can talk to them. They believe in some of their Governors, some other traditional rulers, and some of their religious leaders, fortunately, some of us double as traditional and religious leaders.

“So, we have this onerous task of reaching out to everybody, calm them down, and assure them that things would be okay. And that they should continue to pray and still do something good because prayer without work will not bring anything good,” the Sultan added.

The Sultan’s remarks come two days after the Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero warned that Nigerians faced “economic hardships, hunger and starvation” and called on the president to take urgent action.