Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara state has said he welcomed the visit of former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani Kayode because he was toying the line of Prophet Mohammed (SAW) who taught to be accommodating to your visitors even those opposed to you.
The governor Matawalle, who spoke through his media aide, Zailani Bappa in a statement said he was aware that Fani Kayode’s visit to the state had generated a lot of interest, concern and outright condemnation.
‘Many concerned observers raised issues bordering on religion, tribe and section of the country we belong to.
‘ They cited seemingly consistent attacks, denigration and open abhorrence to what we are by the visiting Minister over time which he normally expresses overtly in the media.
Matawalle noted that’ to cap the exasperation of these observers, the revered Shinkafi Emirate in the state decided to honour Chief FFK with the traditional title of Sadaukin Shinkafi.
The governor said he was also aware that some title holders have resigned in protest, saying, most of those attacks were basing their arguments on religious sentiments.
He stated that the state government welcomed the voluntary visit by the former Aviation Minister
According to the governor, he took the decision based on the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (SAW).
‘During his own time, the Prophet was earlier hated by Meccans and was not only abused and denigrated, but also molested and humiliated.
‘ He was once made to be stoned by some children at Ta’if by the leaders of the village; he once had the placenta of an animal emptied on his body as he prayed!
Matawalle noted history is no respecter of hypocrites and the ignoramus in the society, saying, ‘History had it that our dear Prophet did not join the supposedly cursed persons who abused, denigrate and humiliate him.
‘ He, instead, prayed for them. And he called them to the right path. His passionate and transparent attitude cajoled most of them to his side over time. And even when he finally triumphed over them as he entered the city of Makka with dignity, he pardoned all of them.
‘ In Madina, he will host visiting Christians who came to “disgrace” amongst his people. He will invite Jews to his anode and host them to excellent reception even as they plotted to kill him.
In the same vein, the Matawalle recalled when the then Daily Times, Nigeria’s premier Newspaper, was vehemently portraying the North in Bad light, that time in the 1960s when it used to say all those unprintable things about the North and its peoples, Sir Ahmadu Bello (of blessed memory), did not join them by ordering the Nigerian Citizen Newspaper to attack back.
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Instead, he invited the Editor of the Daily Times, Peter Enahoro, to visit the North. After he answered the call and was taken around the zone, the paper’s narrative completely changed because he saw a people different from the stereotyped tribes he has been abusing on daily basis. This is quite true to what Governor Bello Mohammed has done in this regard.
He revealed that Chief Femi Fani Kayode has been known to be a critic of many things known to be North, especially in the political sense.
‘ He has consistently aired his views on the North and indeed, how it is governed and in relation to other parts of the country. It is foolhardy and pedestrian to assume Governor Matawalle will be so crude and unrefined as to join in any discourse that will express him as a bigot. Those who assume he is as low as that are the ones disappointed today.
But he maintained that since the visit of FFK to Zamfara State, ‘we have seen how he has spoken positively of a people who are much determined to rid their state of bad rulership.
‘ He has recalled how the late Marafan Sokoto, Alhaji Umaru Shinkafi, brought him into politics.
Now, that is how you win your “enemy” as taught to us by our exalted Prophet. Rejecting the man, resisting the honour bestowed on him or protesting the action by dropping one’s title or organising demonstrations on the streets is not the solution to hate against your people or religion.
‘ You can only win that “enemy” by bringing to the table an opposite attitude to what you consider abhorring.
‘ Those who believe they are clean, and those who believe they love us as a people and our religion must be diplomatic like our Prophet so that we do not get lost in the abyss of hate, revenge and petty attitude against those who have negative views about us, our society and our religion.
‘An FFK against the North and Muslims yesterday and today might be an FFK for the North Muslims tomorrow. That can only be possible when he gets different treatment rather than confirming to him what he actually says about you.
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