Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, has assured that the administration of President Bola Tinubu will not use ethnicity as a yardstick to execute its social contract with Nigerians, noting that this is evidenced by appointments already made by the President.

He urged Nigerians to trust that the administration will do all it takes to address hunger and poverty in the country, saying it had already begun laying a foundation to put smiles on the faces of citizens.

Speaking at the fourth quarterly meeting of Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) with the theme, ‘Restoration of Hope in Nigeria’, the SGF said government needs the cooperation of religious leaders to use religion for restoring human dignity to citizens rather than as a means to divide people.

He noted that religion is very sensitive and volatile; hence religious leaders should encourage preachers to emphasise issues that promote mutual understanding, even as political leaders work for the welfare of the people.

According to him, Nigeria has an important role to play in promoting and maintaining peaceful coexistence in West Africa. Also speaking, the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, said Christians and Muslims, through the inter-religious council, are working together to make Nigeria a better place to live. According to him, government knows that religious leaders help to stabilise the country.

He said: “God knows, without NIREC, where we would have been by now. Because of NIREC, they see us talking to one another. We have to always tell the truth. When things are bad, we must say so. When things are good, we must say so.”

The Sultan also cautioned religious leaders to show love and patriotism, and not bring down the country. He added: “I remember very well the quotation of Shehu Usman dan Fodio that says ‘conscience is an open wound and only truth can heal it’. If you read The Guardian every day, when you open the editorial page, you will see everything there. Since The Guardian was first published, they have been using that slogan. So, we must continue to tell ourselves the home truth.”

Meanwhile, Bishop of Sokoto diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah, has said it would be difficult for youths to act differently from past and current politicians if they continue to see politics a blood sport.

Kukah noted that the quality of actors in the nation’s political space suggests “very clearly that there are no teachers, no guardians, no mentors in our political history”. He said the result is that the country is witnessing an end to the age of innocence and the nobility of politics.

The bishop spoke, yesterday, in Abuja at the public presentation of a report on Needs Assessment of Political Parties in Nigeria, produced by The Kukah Centre, in collaboration with the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN).

In another development, a human rights activist and former senator, Shehu Sani, called for the need to redefine the nation’s democracy to address challenges.

He spoke at a conference marking the 10th remembrance anniversary of Nelson Mandela, organised by the National Rescue Congress (NRC) in Abuja. He described the event as an avenue to appreciate the legacy and stewardship of the late President of South Africa, whose life, according to him, represents courage, foresight and leadership.