From Noah Ebije, Kaduna

 

Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN) has lambasted the Federal Government for investing trillions of naira in insecurity and boosting power supply in the country without positive results.

Addressing Muslim Ummah (Muslim community) at the annual pre-Ramadan meeting in Kaduna, yesterday, its President, Abdurrasheed Hadiytullah, called on Muslim Ummah to impress it on the Federal Government to put a stop to corruption, leakages and wasteful spending of public funds without meeting targets.

Hadiytullah noted that it was the ordinary Nigerians that were bearing the brunt of the wasteful spending and urged the leaders to develop political will to tackle corruption headlong to ensure sanity in the country.

“We should, in unison, keep appealing to our governments to take concrete steps to address the issue of corruption, leakages and wasteful spending. Corruption is like a cancer, which destroys everything noble and undermines the principles of good governance. It is perfectly justified to ask our leaders, why should the ordinary Nigerian be made to bear the brunt of insecurity with trillions being spent on security agencies without positive results or accountability?

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“Why should the ordinary Nigerian suffer difficulties from power failure and its skyrocketing cost with over $20 billion wasted on power, without positive results or accountability? There is no doubt we cannot reasonably expect solutions to issues bedevilling our lives until our leaders summon the political will to address the issue of corruption, whenever, wherever and whoever is involved.

“We urge the Federal Government to re-examine the neo-liberal economic template guiding our policies and perish the thought of plans to totally abolish all subsidies and commercialise strategic public agencies, without any semblance of social safety net to mitigate the attendant horrendous consequences on the population,” he said.

He, however, tasked the Ummah to stay away from hate speech and preaching before, during and after the Ramadan to avoid attracting violence, adding that Islam is not a religion of violence but love and unity.

“In these challenging times, it is crucial we uphold the principles of peace, unity, and understanding. We should preach against resorting to violent protests against the government and strive for dialogue and constructive engagement with governments to address our concerns. Islam encourages us to seek solutions to problems with our leaders through peaceful means only. Violence only begets more violence, and it is our duty as responsible citizens and followers of Islam to promote harmony and stability. Together, let us channel our grievances through peaceful avenues, fostering a culture of tolerance and cooperation for the betterment of our society.

“We call on Ummah to fervently pray during this sacred month of Ramadan and beyond for peace in Nigeria, and divine intervention in tackling acts of terrorism, insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, ethno-religious crises, and other criminal activities. We should also call upon all stakeholders, including the government, civil society and the private sector to collaborate effectively in addressing the root causes of insecurity and implementing comprehensive strategies for its eradication.

“Let us emphasise the importance of investing in and strengthening Nigeria’s security institutions, providing them with the necessary resources, training, and technology to enhance their capacity to combat threats effectively. It is necessary to also amplify and encourage the promotion of community-oriented policing, fostering trust between security forces and local communities, and the need to implement programmes that empower communities economically and socially, addressing the underlying factors that contribute to insecurity,” Hadiytullah said.