The Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmumini Kabir Usman, has called on the people not to take the prevailing peace in Katsina State for granted but to remain vigilant in order to sustain it.
Usman spoke yesterday at his palace shortly after the Eid-el-Fitr prayer, which marked the end of the Ramadan fast.
The traditional ruler said the fact that the state was not facing security challenges as was the case with some parts of the country did not mean that people should fold their arms and relax without striving to sustain the peace.
He said it was only when people visited states facing security challenges that they would be able to fully appreciate the importance of peace in society.
The emir, however, called for more prayers from Nigerians for peace to prevail in parts of the country facing security challenges.
He said: "We pray and should continue to pray for the states facing security challenges that God will intervene so that lasting peace would be restored not only in these areas but in Nigeria as a whole."
Usman also called on the people to plant trees to check desertification and other environmental problems.
According to him, tree planting was a common feature at the inception of the Islamic faith as people at the time were asked to plant trees in order to save the environment from degradation.
He said if tree planting was important hundreds of years ago was, "how much more should people in the state and elsewhere plant tress in order to save the environment?"
The emir called on stakeholders to protect their environment by constantly planting trees.
Usman also gave an assurance that the trees so planted would be looked after by the people; with the traditional institution, among others, given such responsibility.
National Mirror