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From Paul Orude Bauchi
The Bauchi State Commissioner for Water Resources, Hon Abddulrazak Nuhu Zaki, has advised famous Bauchi-based Islamic scholar and Chief Imam of Dutsen Tanshi Jumaat mosque, Dr Idris Abdulaziz to desist from meddling in politics.
The Commissioner refuted the allegation that Governor Bala Mohammed was the one orchestrating the arrest warrant on the cleric by an Upper Shariah Court in the state.
He made this known on Wednesday, in an interview with journalists at his residence in Bauchi, explaining that Imam Idris Abdulaziz kicked against the verification of state workers by the Governor Mohammed led administration.
Although the verification exercise led to flushing of ghost workers, saving millions in government workers, it was trailed with many complaints, most of wish had to do with civil servants who had benefited from the rot in the system
The Commissioner urged religious leaders in the country to refrain from meddling into politics for the sake of peace and adhere strictly to the doctrine of their religion.
“When the government of Governor Bala Mohammed came into being in 2019, the governor appointed me as the commissioner of local government affairs,” he explained.
“The government decided to show appreciation to God by embarking on renovation of churches, mosques and secretariats of religious organisations.
“We wanted the religious leaders to give the government estimates of projects of their organisations such as construction of schools and others.
After the leaders made their various submission, 50 percent of the money was released and we supervised how the money was utilised
“Mallam Idris Abdul’aziz is one of the most respected religious leaders of the state overseeing the Tanshi Jumma’at Mosque.
“He was also selected as one of the religious leaders to benefit from the gesture because he is considered as one of those that supported the government when it took over leadership in 2019.
“When I contacted him concerning the gesture by the government, he said that he was not interested in the gesture, that the government should stop the verification exercise it was conducting in the state”
“I now told him that he had no business with the policies and programme of the government and that the government was relating with him purely as a religious leader.
“I then told him to go to the governor himself and give his advice, he now exhibited arrogance by saying he cannot do that.
“He said that when the governor was campaigning for the governorship position, he came right to his house to seek his support, why should now go to the governor to give any counsel, so he refused to submit his own estimate for his religious organisation.
“This was the beginning of the fall out with the government.
“He sees himself as the most educated Islamic Cleric, thereby venturing into issues that do not concern him and he thinks his opinion is the best being a reputable Islamic Cleric.
“This is very wrong of him and I feel that his followers should advise him to refrain from doing such.
“Whatever he is doing today against the government is all based on selfish interest as he has now divided into political matters that should not concern an Islamic scholar”
Nuhu Zaki said that the governor shares a cordial relationship with religious leaders in the state irrespective of tribe or religion, stressing that the governor will not involve himself in such a despicable act.
The Commissioner said that it was necessary to correct the negative impression the allegation was causing in the state in order not to heat up the polity.
He alleged that Imama Idris Abdul’aziz has deviated from the preaching of Islamic virtues into other matters that an Islamic scholar of his repute should not involve himself in.
The cleric could not be reached for his reaction at the time of filing this report
