Politics

15th Hijrah: Muslim Clerics Task Nigerians On Good Morals

Published

5 months ago

July 26, 2024

15th Hijrah: Muslim Clerics Task Nigerians On Good Morals

– as Speaker charges religious leaders on impactful messages

Nigerians, irrespective of religious affiliations, must begin to embrace good morals and practise honesty, two guest lecturers at the 15th Annual Hijrah Lecture of the Lagos State House of Assembly, have urged.

This is as the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, also charged Nigeria’s religious leaders to teach messages with greater positive impacts on citizens.

Sheikh Sulaiman Onikijipa Al-miskinubilahi, general overseer of Al-Amani Islamic Organisation, and Sheikh Ridwanullah Jamiu, Chief Imam of the Central Mosque, Lekki Phase 1, said moral conducts and honesty would help create a decent society.

Speaking at the event with the theme: ‘The Increasing Wave Of Moral Decadence In The Society’, which held at the Assembly complex on Friday, the guest lecturers condemned the spate of moral decadence in the society.

Dr. Jamiu told guests that there was need to enforce laws against anti-decent practices like homosexuality, gambling, adultery and corruption.

According to him, Allah blesses those who are kind, just and are morally upright.

“People should run away from three things: indecency, aggression and wickedness. For a society to progress and develop, it must move away from what Allah kicks against.

“Justice means giving people their rights. As a boss, you have duties to your employees. Treat others the way you expect to be treated. Allah commands kindness and generosity,” he said while urging parents to be role models to their children.

On his part, Sheikh Onikijipa lamented what he described as a growing level of corruption in the society.

“At this stage of our existence, we all know that almost everyone is corrupt,” he said while urging leaders to be more transparent.

The cleric further stressed that leaders must be determined to end moral decadence in the society, adding: “See the way the government stopped the abuse of naira with necessary legislation. The same should be done for other forms of moral decadence in the society.

“There is no religion if we don’t have morals. If you observe all the five pillars of the Islam and you are morally corrupt, then you are deceiving yourself.

“If you pray regularly and you don’t have morals, then it is a waste of time. Indecent dressing should be condemned in all places,” he said.

While noting that Nigeria is challenged at the moment, Onikijipa appealed to citizens to be patient with the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

He urged religious leaders and citizens in the country to dedicate a day for fasting and prayer instead of embarking on a protest, which has a tendency to escalate into destruction of properties.

In his remarks, Speaker Obasa said everyone has roles to play in achieving an upright society.

Obasa, who said that Hijrah is meant to celebrate the clerics, added: “You would be proud of the group you belong to when people feel your impact. We should ensure that we change our immediate environment and make things better in our time.

“We must all join hands to make our society better so that we can all have a morally upright place. It is not enough to make laws, people must exhibit good qualities.”

Eromosele Ebhomele
Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.

Politics

Zamfara Youths Commend Tinubu Over Yazid Danfulani Appointment*

Published

2 days ago

December 7, 2024

Sahara Weekly

Zamfara Youths Commend Tinubu Over Yazid Danfulani Appointment

Youths in Zamfara State have commended President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointing Yazid Danfulani as the Executive Secretary of the Solid Minerals Development Fund/Presidential Artisanal Gold Mining Initiative.

The Zamfara Good Governance Forum (ZGF), led by Comrade Abdulsamad Yakubu, described Danfulani’s appointment as a well-deserved recognition of his contributions to the region’s development.

Yakubu said Danfulani played a pivotal role in President Tinubu’s campaign, mobilising massive youth support and ensuring a resounding victory for the All Progressives Congress.

He noted that his expertise in the solid minerals sector, particularly in gold mining, is expected to drive the Presidential Artisanal Gold Mining Initiative forward.

The Zamfara Good Governance Forum expressed confidence that Danfulani’s appointment will have a positive impact on the solid minerals sector in Nigeria, particularly in Zamfara State, which is richly endowed with mineral resources, including gold.

“We wish to express our heartfelt commendation to President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the appointment of Yazid Danfulani as the Executive Secretary of the Solid Minerals Development Fund/Presidential Artisanal Gold Mining Initiative,” Yakubu said.

“Yazid Danfulani’s appointment is a testament to his exceptional leadership qualities and dedication to the development of Northern Nigeria. As a great mobilizer, he played a pivotal role in President Tinubu’s campaign, galvanising massive youth support and ensuring a resounding victory for the party’s presidential candidate.

“The Zamfara Good Governance Forum believes that this appointment is a well-deserved recognition of Danfulani’s contributions to the region’s development. His expertise in the solid minerals sector, particularly in gold mining, will undoubtedly be an asset in driving the Presidential Artisanal Gold Mining Initiative forward.

“As the Executive Secretary, Danfulani will oversee the implementation of the initiative, which aims to formalize and regulate the artisanal gold mining sector in Nigeria. This initiative has the potential to create jobs, stimulate economic growth, and reduce illegal mining activities in the region.

“The Zamfara Good Governance Forum is confident that Danfulani’s appointment will have a positive impact on the solid minerals sector in Nigeria, particularly in Zamfara State, which is richly endowed with mineral resources, including gold ².”

Politics

Namibians elect Nandi-Ndaitwah as first female president

Published

4 days ago

December 5, 2024

Sahara Weekly

Namibians elect Nandi-Ndaitwah as first female president

Namibian Vice-President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah of the ruling South West Africa People’s Organisation (Swapo) party has been elected the first female president of the Southern African country.

Namibia’s electoral commission on Tuesday announced Mrs Nandi-Ndaitwah as the winner of the election that was held on November 27.

The announcement of the result was delayed until Tuesday as voting was extended in some places due to technical glitches and ballot paper shortages.

According to the result by the electoral commission, Ms Nandi-Ndaitwah, 72, polled 57 per cent of the votes, surpassing the 50 per cent requirement to win. Her challenger, Panduleni Itula of the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) party, came second with roughly 26 per cent of votes.

In the National Assembly election, Mrs Nandi-Ndaitwah-led SWAPO won a majority of seats, 51 of the 96, while the IPC won 20 seats.

“The Namibian nation has voted for peace and stability,” Ms Nandi-Ndaitwah said after being declared president-elect on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the IPC has vowed to challenge the election’s outcome in court, describing the process as “deeply flawed.”

Ms Nandi-Ndaitwah’s victory now extends SWAPO’s 34-year rule in Namibia since it led the country to independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990.

Politics

Senate summons Keyamo over flight delays, others

Published

4 days ago

December 5, 2024

Sahara Weekly

Senate summons Keyamo over flight delays, others

The Senate on Wednesday summoned the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace, Festus Keyamo; Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Capt. Chris Najomo; airline operators and other relevant stakeholders over the incessant flight delays and cancellations by airlines.

Adopting a motion to that effect, sponsored by Senator AbdulFatai Buhari (APC Oyo North) during plenary, the Red Chamber particularly charged its Committee on Aviation to unravel the circumstances behind the incessant flight delays and cancellations to find lasting solutions to the problem.

The PUNCH exclusively reported on Wednesday that about 2,000 air passengers lost 19,274 pieces of luggage between January and June this year, according to data from the Federal.

The report stated that data obtained from the half-year report of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, an agency of the Federal Government that regulates civil aviation, further indicated that 19,250 passengers were delayed for long hours during the review period.

Senator Buhari, while presenting the motion, said the problem which he noted had been on the increase in recent times, is all over the media.

“This development is worrisome as air travel is one of the most reliable, dependable, and quicker means of transportation, often undertaken for business/official purposes and to keep other scheduled appointments, which are usually time-bo,” he said

Therefore, he cautioned that “unwarranted flight delays and cancellations will be counterproductive to the socio-economic growth and development of this country.”

The lawmaker noted that as part of interventionist measures to check unethical and unwholesome practices of the practitioners in the àviation sector, the NCAA is statutory empowered through the enactment of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Act, to among other things, provide oversight and guidelines aimed at ensuring that airlines operate within the contemplation of international standards in Nigeria and to ensure that airline customers get value for the services paid for.

Buhari pointed out that “the quest for economic diversification and foreign direct investment, which are parts of the current administration’s policy thrust, will remain an illusion if the country’s aviation industry falls short of the acceptable best practices across the globe.”

“Part 19 of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority Regulations of 2023, makes provisions for consumer protection in the civil aviation industry in Nigeria.”

He added, “However, enforcement has been an issue as most Nigerians are not even aware that they are entitled to compensation for time lost due to unnecessary delay, hence the need for the NCAA to activate this aspect of its regulation so that airline operators will sit up and be alive to their responsibilities.”