The Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria (SCSN) has called on the federal government and governors to develop the political will to tackle the scourges of corruption and insecurity bedevilling the country.
It also lamented that over the years, trillions were spent on the nation’s security agencies without positive results, only for the masses to bear the brunt.
Speaking during the annual pre-Ramadan lecture in Kaduna on Tuesday, the President, Sheikh Abdurrasheed Hadiytullah, therefore called on the federal government to review its security operations and secure the country.
It also counselled the federal government to take a proactive position to stop corruption, leakages, and wasteful spending of public funds without meeting the targets.
Sheikh Hadiytullah regretted that it is ordinary Nigerians who are 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.
The President also tasked the Muslim Ummah to stay away from hate speech and preaching before, during, and after Ramadan to avoid attracting violence, as according to him, Islam is not a religion of violence but of love and unity.
“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 cancer, which destroys everything noble and undermines the principles of good governance.
” Here, 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 the security agencies without positive results or accountability?
“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 that 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 a social safety net to mitigate the attendant horrendous consequences on the population.
“In these challenging times, it is crucial that 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, he stressed.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru, has said plans are on the way to scale up the use of technology in fighting bandits and other criminals.
Speaking in an interview with newsmen at the venue of the pre-Ramadan lecture held at the headquarters of the Jamaatul Nasirul Islam in Kaduna, Badaru noted that technology will help the security personnel track down criminals in their hideouts.
He also commended the security agencies for doing their best to battle the bandits in their different hideouts.
“The way the bandits operate makes it difficult for the security agents because they cannot be everywhere.
“In spite of the way the terrorists operate, the security personnel have been doing wonderful work by neutralising them, apprehending them, and rescuing victims in parts of the country.”
He employed the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria to pray for peace in the country, saying that it is only in a peaceful environment that the government would be able to carry out its programmes for the overall benefit of the citizens.
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