Some clerics in Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja have tasked the newly crowned Sarkin Bwari, Alhaji Awwal Ijakoro, with ensuring unity and peaceful coexistence among the people.
The clerics spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Monday in Abuja.
Recall that the Minister of State of the FCT, Dr Ramatu Aliyu, had last Saturday, formally presented the Staff of Office to the traditional ruler after his nomination and endorsement by the Council of Chiefs.
Ijakoro, a native of Koro in Niger state was crowned the fifth Sarkin Bwari, after succeeding his late father, Alhaji Musa Ijakoro, who died in 2017 after a 41 year reign in Bwari.
Alhaji Ibrahim Mohammed, a Muslim cleric and resident of the area, while congratulating the Emir, also urged him to provide good leadership for the people and enhance unity.
He said that the ruler must promote harmonious relationships among residents, respect all tribes and inhabitants of Bwari community and its environs in order to give room for peaceful coexistence.
Mohammed said that preserving the culture of the people of Bwari was important and so was the need for tolerance and cohabitation.
“He must be willing at all times to work with his counterpart ruler, the Esu Bwari in order to respect and preserve the culture of the people.
“It is also important to note that the country is going through security challenges and so, they both must work closely together to preserve peace and avoid anything that will breach it.”
He urged residents in the area to support the traditional rulers to ensure the task was achievable.
Similarly, Paul Ishaya, a Christian cleric also said that the peace and unity of the council was paramount and should come first and above any religious or traditional sentiment.
Ishaya also noted that it was only a peaceful environment that allowed for investments and development in any society.
According to him, those who will do the opposite and push for disorder among a peaceful society are enemies of progress and do not deserve to be listened to.
He urged the traditional ruler to remain focused, rule with no sentiment of any kind, welcome developmental ideas, refuse bias and promote cordial relationships among the diverse ethnic groups resident in the area.
In a similar development, Theophilus Noah, spokesperson for the Bwari Youths Development Association was of the opinion that the dividing Bwari chiefdom would foster unity more.
According to Noah, classifying “the Gbagyi and the Koro indigenous tribes of the council” under two different chiefdoms in Bwari, will further foster unity, understanding and continuous harmony among the natives.
He said: “You will recall that FCT indigenous traditional councils have ancestral chieftaincy names like the Ona of Abaji, the Aguma of Gwagwalada, the Gomo of Kuje and Esu of Bwari.
“A typical example of what should be done is what was done in Kwali Area Council, where Kwali chiefdom was divided into four, according to their indigenous tribes.
“These were the Etsu Kwali for the Gbari People, Etsu mi Wako for the Ganagana people, Aguma of Gumani for the Bassa people and Sarki Pai for the Hausa Fulani people.
“Hence, the Gbagyi people and the Koros should have their chiefdoms separately because their traditions, culture, beliefs, norms and values differ.”
He added that the Gbagyis in Bwari might find it difficult to properly observe some of their cultural beliefs because they were being led by someone with a different belief as its chief custodian of its traditions.
He however assured that natives of Bwari communities were known for their peace-loving, caring and accommodating attributes and would continue to remain and maintain those attributes.
Follow The Eagle Online Channel on WhatsApp
