Aliyu, Lemu blame insurgency in North on ignorance, clerics

    
Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu and the latest recipient of the King Faisal award Sheikh Ahmed Lemu have blamed insurgency in parts of the country on lack of education on the demands of the two major religions practised in the country.

The duo also heaped the blame of the crisis that has led to loss of thousands of lives and property particularly in the North Eastern parts of the country on clerics who have been misinforming their followers and the youths.

Aliyu and Lemu spoke in Minna on Tuesday when the latter paid a visit to the Niger State Governor for the support given him which led to the success of the award ceremony, which took place recently in Saudi Arabia.

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The governor noted that some clerics were in the habit of using their pulpits to castigate the government, prominent Nigerians and other religions all in a bid to attract undue attention or for pecuniary benefits, which he said had contributed to the heightening of tension in the country

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He said the Niger State had had relative peace in the state because the administration had been fair to adherents of all the religions in the state.

“We will continue to assist people to build churches and mosques. We will continue to fund pilgrimages to the Holy land; that is what we have taken oath to do, that is the only way to continue to guarantee peaceful coexistence among the diverse people of the state.”

On his part, Lemu, who was chairman of the Nigeria Inter Religions Committee, and member of the Boko Haram Peace and Reconciliation Committee, noted that lack of knowledge brought about the Boko Haram menace in the country.

“Let us teach authentic teaching of Islam not because of money”, the world renowned cleric advised, insisting that Nigerian youths were being ‘misdirected and brainwashed by some clerics to satisfy their greed for money.