 Honoured guests, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, after hearing the royal orders of His Royal Highness, the Sultan, and the illuminating address of my younger brother, Issa Anthony, and, of course, the motherly words of Her Excellency the First Lady, I think it might just be time to go home without saying much more, because when you now ask a lawyer to speak, you might be adding a bit more trouble to what you've heard already. But it's a great honour to be here at this opening ceremony of the General Assembly of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs. This council is of particular importance to us as a nation, because it not only promotes solidarity amongst Nigerian Muslims, but it also serves as an important intermediary between government and the Muslim community and between Muslims and persons of other faiths. As the highest decision-making body of the council, I offer to you this morning both a commendation and a challenge. First, the commendation to you for the great leadership that you have shown in galvanising the Muslim community in Nigeria despite denominational differences, but also for making the council available for the promotion of interfaith peace and religious tolerance in Nigeria. But the challenge that I pose to you stems from the theme of this meeting, which is Islam and National Development. Commit me to put the topic in context so that we do not miss the essence of this topic. So I recast the theme to read as follows, The role of Islam in the development of a multi-religious and multi-ethnic nation. The role of Islam in the development of a multi-religious and a multi-ethnic nation. End of quote. This is the government of the matter. And I believe that my brother Issa Matami did an excellent job. Decades ago in this same country, it would not have been a major topic. Leaders in the first republic did not consider religious intolerance as a major national issue. They were more concerned about the issues that touched everyone, regardless of religion or ethnicity. They were concerned about providing food for the masses of their people, providing shelter, providing education, providing healthcare and decent livelihoods for the people. But today no true leader can ignore the threat that religious bigotry and intolerance poses for the development of our nation. That is just the way it is. But it is my respectful view that the burden of ensuring that faith promotes national development, as opposed to impeding it, is on leaders. The burden is on leaders. This is the challenge that I have posed to you today. A few months ago, at an interfaith gathering, I told the story of an occurrence on the 20th of June 2018. Christians in their village, in Shariawa in Plateau State, were attacked by a whole of persons who were said to be Muslims, who had attacked other villages and killed several Beroam farmers who were mainly Christians. As Imam Abdul-Lay, Imam Abdul-Lay was the Imam in that village, was finishing his midday prayers. He and his congregation heard gunshots and they went outside to see members of the town's Christian community running helter-skelter. Instinctively, the Imam ushered 262 Christians into the mosque and saw them into his home which was next to the mosque. The Imam then went outside to confront the gunmen. He refused to allow them to enter, pleading with them to stare the Christians inside the mosque and his home. When the assailants were adamant, he told them that they would have to kill him first if they were going to kill the Christians that he had given refuge to in the mosque and in his home. They eventually left without killing any of the Christians in the mosque or in his home. Imam Abdul-Lay's selflessness and sacrifice saved the lives of hundreds of people or their faith different from his own. Imam Abdul-Lay not only refused to give up the Christians he had given refuge to, he even offered his life in exchange for theirs. His moral courage is rooted in a profound recognition of our common humanity. His compassion, his empathy and selflessness are an example to us as people of faith. Jesus Christ told a story somewhat similar to this. Someone had asked him the question, how will I attain eternal life? And Jesus replied by asking him what the law said on the matter. The man responded that the law says love God with all your heart and your mind and love your navel as yourself. Jesus then said, good you go and obey the law and you will live. However the man asked him, but who is my navel? Jesus then told him the parable which later became known as the story of the parable of the good Samaritan. This is the story of a man who was travelling between Jerusalem and Jericho and was attacked by thieves. His property was stolen and was beaten almost to death. As he lay on the road, a certain priest came by, saw him and walked by on the other side. So also a Levite came by and walked by on the other side of the road. Then a Samaritan came by by the way Samaritans were regarded as unbelievers by the Jews. The Samaritan came by and stopped and took care of the injured man, put him on his horse and then took him to an inn, leaving the innkeeper money to take care of him until he returned. Jesus then asked the man, of the three men who saw the injured man, who was his navel? The man answered that it was the Samaritan who had compassion on him. Jesus then said to him, go and do likewise. Jesus said, go and behave with love and compassion in the way that the Samaritan did. All leaders, and this is my challenge to you today, need to learn from the simple but deeply profound actions of the good Samaritan and the chief imam, Abu Bakr. Both of them showed great love and compassion. They were not concerned about the race or religion of those whose lives they saved or whose properties were destroyed. All that mattered was that they were flesh and blood like themselves. They were simply ready to make any sacrifice for another human being. We are at a historic juncture in the existence of our nation. Here and there we have religious and tribal tensions. Many are beating the drums of ethnic and religious superiority. Some even seek to divide the nation into ethnic zones. Yet our constitution speaks in the clearest and highest terms of our national commitment to the equality of all Nigerians, regardless of ethnicity, religion or status. It speaks of the imperative of all individuals and governments to respect the rights and dignity of every Nigerian. Our constitution speaks of the freedom of worship and the liberty to belong to a faith of one's choice, and even to change that faith without consequence. But constitutional declarations mean nothing unless there are men and women ready to make the personal sacrifices to bridge the gap between rhetoric and constitutional ideals. Such men and women are not usually very many, or they do not have to be very many to make a difference. Let me add one more story. A few months ago, a leader of a large Christian congregation in a northern state of Nigeria sought audience with me. I asked him why he wanted to see me or to speak to me. He said he wanted to speak to me about the governor of his state. I assumed it was going to be a complaint because the governor of his state is a Muslim, and I thought perhaps there might be some conflict between the Christians and Muslims in that community. When he met with me, he said, you're excellency. I think the government should give national honours to those who promote the unity of the country. He then told me how the governor of his state had rebuilt several churches that were damaged by religious extremists who describe themselves as Muslims. I was shocked first by the fact that here was the leader of a major Christian body in that state. And he was asking that the government should honour the governor of his state for doing something that is un-presidential, unheard of perhaps, rebuilding churches that have been destroyed by extremists. Yet there are states where governors refuse to grant certificates of occupancy for building of churches or places of religious gathering in outright violation of the constitution that they swore to uphold. Every Sunday, my family and I and over a hundred Christians attend service in the chapel at the Villa. The chapel is located in the premises of the president and his family. It's located a few seconds away from the First Lady's kitchen. I will not tell you that we end at it. Sometimes when I meet with the president on a Sunday morning, he frequently asks me whether the service is over already or whether I'm escaping from the service. That is a sort of tolerance that we need in a multi-ethnic, multi-religious society. And it is the duty of leaders to show that example. It's the courage of leaders to live up to the ideals of their faith. And Issa Patami has already told us of the ideals of the Islamic faith. And there are sworn commitments that invariably build nations. Leaders must live up to the commitments to which they swear, especially political leaders. Nations are built by the sacrifices and the hard work of leaders. Who do not even care if they are condemned by the persons of their own religion or ethnicity so long as they are confident that they act in obedience to the oaths that they swore to and to the Almighty God. Such men and women are few. But the profundity of their actions invariably transform communities and nations as they build the arc of history in the direction of unity, peace and progress. I've observed for many years the words and actions of His Royal Highness the Sultan of Sokoto how he has sought to build bridges with other faiths, locally and internationally. This is us it should be. The challenge of nation building is not the noise of the religious bigots and nihilists. It is the silence and inaction of leaders of different faiths who know better. It is to the silent. It is to those who say nothing and do nothing. To whom we appeal today. Your words and actions may make the difference between peace and tragedy. The Quran proclaims and I quote, human beings are created. We created you all from male and female and made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another. These words are important because they point us in the direction of our diversity. But that diversity is a source of strength. It's a source of knowledge. It's a source of unity. And our nation at this point requires men and women who look at our faiths. Muslims and Christians who see first brothers and sisters who see first human beings before we see faith. Thank you very much. It is now my very special pleasure and privilege to declare open this conference. And as I declare open this conference I take into account the important words. I hear and understand the words that Israel has spoken. So I declare open this conference. Thank you very much.