Hardship: Provide succour for disadvantaged Nigerians, Shari’ah Council tells FG, states

THE Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN) has called on the federal and state governments to provide immediate relief and succour for the multitudes of disadvantaged Nigerians in the face of the stifling economic hardships in the country.

This is even as the council urged the people to eschew resorting to violent protests against the government but instead strive for dialogue and constructive engagement with governments to address their concerns.

These, according to a statement by the council in Abuja, are contained in a speech of the SCSN president, Sheikh AbdurRasheed Hadiyatullah, at the pre-Ramadan meeting of the council’s Shurah Committee held in Kaduna on Tuesday.

Sheikh Hadiyatullah asserted that Nigerians are going through challenging times and there is the need for the government to establish an expansive social safety net to provide immediate relief for the most vulnerable in the country.

He said: “In this regard, we appeal to the federal and state governments to provide immediate relief and succour for the multitudes of the disadvantaged against the stifling economic hardships.

“In addition, we call on all governments to also consider organising community feeding for the vulnerable in as many centres, especially during the time of iftar during the forthcoming Ramadan.

“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.

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“Islam encourages us to seek solutions to problems with our leaders through peaceful means only. Violence only begets more violence,” the council president stated.

Hadiyatullah said further: “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 and fostering a culture of tolerance and cooperation for the betterment of our society.”

The SCSN president further appealed to the Federal Government to take concrete steps with a view to addressing corruption, leakages and wasteful spending.

He added: “Corruption is like a 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 result 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 the issues bedevilling our lives until our leaders summon the political will to address the issue of corruption, whoever is involved.”

Sheikh Hadiyatullah admonished the Federal Government to re-examine what he described as its neo-liberal economic template guiding its policies and perish the thought of totally abolishing all subsidies and commercialise strategic public agencies “without any semblance of social safety net to mitigate the attendant horrendous consequences on the population.”

The SCSN is an umbrella body championing the progress and development of the Muslim ummah (community) and Nigeria in general and actively contributing to the political and socioeconomic development of the country with the unity and prosperity of the ummah as the cornerstone of its efforts.