Truly, as postulated by Shehu Uthman Ibn Fodio, "Conscience is an open wound, only truth can heal it" and I thank God that I am not a card carrying member of any political party. It is on this premise that I stand tall to challenge  Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode who decided to close his two eyes at anything other people are doing, even when they are being done in the most perfect ways.

He has once again, demonstrated high sense of extremism, fanatism as well as an act ignorance on the history of the life and time of Shehu Uthman Ibn Fodio. He was no doubt a religious teacher, writer and Islamic promoter, and the founder of the Sokoto Caliphate.

Going through Fani-Kayode's piece, titled: "Femi Fani-Kayode: The bloody legacy of Usman Dan Fodio" I was highly disappointed at the conduct of someone who has benefitted immensely from this great nation. Irrespective of party lines, it is expected that the writer will conduct himself in a more modest way as a stateman and focus more on what unites us as a nation than the divisive factors.

Fani-Kayode, in his piece, also went to far by faulting the jihad of the late revered and renown Scholar, Shehu Uthman Ibn Fodio. I don't think this is the kind of publication Nigerians need at this period when insecurity is the order of the day, threatening our peaceful co-existence.

However, if the continuous spread of Islam in the northern part and some parts of south-western of Nigeria is one of the major sins of late Ibn Fodio, then Fani-Kayode must be venturing into fruitless and undesirable trade thereby hiding under the guise of condemning grazing reserve.

There's no doubt that Nigerians are facing hardship which was precipitated by past governments in which Mr. Fani-Kayode was also a beneficiary at different times as a Minister without giving anything back in return to the country other than series of court cases as well as lost of sense of direction by the current administration.

My question to him is that, was the National Grazing Reserve bill just introduced? Instead of Mr. Fani-Kayode to tour the path of honour and embark on a more genuine advocacy and awareness in a bid to educating the populace on the need to support or reject the move, he was busy tracing the history of a revered leader who has assisted immensely in the stabilization and introduction of a system of leadership into the northern region even long before the advent of colonialism.

However, finding faults in the activities of Shehu Uthman Ibn Fodio is tantamount to waging war on the entire traditional system in the north led by the Sultan of Sokoto as well as condemning the advent of Islamic religion in its entirety. Also, can Fani-Kayode take his time to explain how Christianity find its way into our land?

Let me quickly revisit the evergreen ideology and principle of the late Sardauna of Sokoto and Premier of Northern Region, Sir Ahmadu Bello, he once said: "It is better for us to understand our differences than to forget them. It is through these means that we will understand ourselves better and be able to tolerate and manage ourselves as a nation."

Therefore, where does wisdom stands when the words and writings of the dead are still more valuable, relevant and impacting positively on the people than those of the 'acclaimed living'?

In conclusion, as a friend to current policies and opinion moulders in the country, it is expected that the ex-Minister will channel his plight through appropriate corridors as well as also use his personal and intellectual influences to guide the present government to the assumed or preferred comfort zone in the interest of peace and tranquility of the entire Nigeria citizenry.

Arowona Abdulazeez,  a journalist and media consultant writes from Ilorin via sardauna2@gmail.com