Director-General of the Michael Imoudu Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS), Comrade Isa Aremu, has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu tactfully deployed diplomacy to prevent what he described as a potential diplomatic crisis with former United States President Donald Trump over allegations of genocide against Christians in parts of Nigeria.
Aremu made the remarks on Wednesday during his opening address at the institute’s fifth Ramadan Lecture Series titled, “The Role of Muslims in Supporting the Bereaved,” organised by the Muslim community of the institute in Ilorin, Kwara.
According to him, rather than engage in public exchanges or respond with hostility to the allegations, President Tinubu adopted a quiet but strategic diplomatic approach.
“President Bola Tinubu used diplomacy to stop Trump from attacking Nigeria over what I consider imaginary and non-existing genocide,” Aremu said.
“If President Tinubu had not deployed diplomacy in that case, perhaps we would have been going after one another; we might by now have been killing ourselves.”
He added that the same Trump later commended Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for her efforts in promoting citizens’ welfare, describing it as evidence that diplomatic engagement yields better outcomes than confrontation.
Call for Diplomacy in Global Conflicts
The MINILS DG urged Nigerians to remain hopeful despite persistent insecurity in parts of the country. He also called for diplomacy in resolving the ongoing tensions between the United States and Iran.
“It is better to jaw-jaw than to war-war,” Aremu stated, stressing that armed conflicts leave devastating consequences for families and increase the number of bereaved persons in society.
He emphasized that the world is in urgent need of peace, urging governments, institutions, and individuals to promote peaceful coexistence.
Cleric Warns Against Borrowing for Funeral Rites
In his lecture, Professor AbdulRazaq AbduMajeed Alaro of the University of Ilorin outlined society’s responsibilities toward bereaved families.
The Islamic scholar, who also serves as an adviser on non-interest banking to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), cautioned against borrowing money to finance funeral rites. He noted that families must settle any outstanding debts incurred by the deceased before sharing inheritance.
“No one is immune from being bereaved. By discussing this topic, we are preparing ourselves to support those who experience loss,” he said.
He explained that support for the bereaved should come in two phases — during and after the burial.
Support during the interment, he said, includes assisting with the payment of debts left by the deceased, burial expenses, and ensuring the timely settlement of inheritance matters. Post-burial support should focus on the welfare of the deceased’s children and family members.
He further encouraged individuals to participate in orphanage programmes and other charitable initiatives aimed at supporting families affected by loss.