Governor Uba Sani has commended the pivotal role that religious leaders have played in attaining peace in Kaduna State over the past two years of his administration.

Sani, who made this known at an interactive session with religious and traditional rulers in Kaduna on Monday, said that without them, “we cannot be standing here celebrating peace in Kaduna State.”

He blamed politicians for forgetting religious leaders when ”we are elected. We only remember them when it is a month or two before the elections. We go to them using sentiments, using religion so that they can support us.”

According to the governor, religious leaders are important stakeholders in our country, “that is why we believe that we need you now to guide us and not to rush to you only during elections.”

He recalled that religious leaders had given him invaluable advice in an earlier meeting with them when he assumed office, on how to achieve peace, unity and tranquillity in Kaduna State.

”That is why I am here to explain to you what we have done in the last two years, in the area of security, education, healthcare and social security, since we came into office,” he added.

He said the Kaduna Peace Model, which emphasises a non-kinetic approach, is being emulated by most states in the country, adding that ”we didn’t achieve that alone as a government.”

Governor Sani noted that the success of the Kaduna Peace Model is a culmination of the synergy of four stakeholders, including ”our religious leaders, traditional leaders, the communities themselves and our security leaders.”

The governor, who noted that security officials were not at the top of the hierarchy of stakeholders, said that the administration had to, first and foremost, rebuild the trust deficit of the past.

”We made it clear that we can’t deploy security to any community without engaging the stakeholders, so that they can be in the picture of whatever we are going to do. They will initiate the programme, own it, and then the government will come in,” he added.

Governor Sani said that ”today by the grace of God and with your prayers, people can go to Birnin Gwari with their eyes closed. That is an achievement.”

Governor Sani decried the antics of some politicians who conspired with some unscrupulous elements to smear the reputations of some religious leaders on social media.

”I always say, if we allow our religious leaders to be insulted, to be condemned unnecessarily, we will not have a country, much less a state. Whenever things are bad, we go to them for prayers,” he added.