Join politics, entrench good governance, cleric challenges Muslims

A cleric, Sheikh Mudathir Atanda Bada, has called on Muslims to be ready to participate actively in politics and lead the charge to institute good governance in the country.

Sheikh Bada, in a lecture he delivered at a programme organised by a group, Muslim Political Awareness Front (MUPAF), held at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, urged Muslims across the country to engage in partisan politics and seize opportunity to govern the people with the fear of God.

Speaking on the topic “Islamic Advocacy of Good Governance and Partisan Politics,” Sheikh Bada said: “if you sit down and continue to criticise the people in government, we will not get a desired result. But if we can be fully involved in politics, we will one day become one of the policy makers and we can then use our position to correct things we feel are wrong.”

The cleric said Muslims were duty-bound to steer the affairs of the people well and as such they could not afford to do things that would hurt the people.

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He criticised what he called the governments’ penchant for neglecting the grass-roots people “who give them more votes” and developing the already-developed elite areas.

“You will recollect that during the regime of the late Murtala Mohammed, he had the fear of God in him; he governed this country so well that his name cannot be easily forgotten in history.

“A few years back, we had a good Muslim as our civilian president, the late Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. He had a good agenda for Nigeria and he wanted to rule this country with the fear of God but his life was cut short by illness such that he could not even complete his tenure. But he will always be remembered for his kindness and large heart while on earth.

“If you Muslims are not involved in partisan politics, then you have no right to blame whoever that is there if he does not perform well. But if you are part of them, you will be able to use your office to correct some policies that are not well meant for the masses,” Sheikh Bada said.