Sultanate: Shari’ah Centre cautions CSOs against misleading leaders

The Centre for Promotion of Shari’ah has warned Civil Society Organisations to desist from misleading leaders into toeing the wrong direction, especially concerning issues of national public interest.

The warning is contained in a statement titled “The Purported Onslaught Against The Sultanate”, issued by the National Chairman of the Centre, Aliyu Altukri, and made available to newsmen in Kano on Friday.

It said the warning was necessary following comments by Arewa Cultural Heritage Network and one other organisation after Vice President Kashim Shettima and the renowned Muslim Rights Concern of Nigeria cautioned the Sokoto State Government against a purported plan to dethrone the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III.

According to the statement, Civil Society organisations are supposed to protect the populace from the exploitative tendencies of the organised private sector and the autocratic tendencies of the government, not to suppress public opinion over a very important matter that revolves around their heritage and which they hold high regard and esteem.

The Centre said, “Any attempt to side either with the private sector or with the government against the interest of the general public is tantamount to standing civil society on its head.

“The so-called association claimed that the issue of the Sultanate is an internal affair of Sokoto State and that the VP should keep quiet over it. Another pseudo-association called for the arrest of the Director of MURIC for what it called an attempt to incite violence.

“The Centre for Promotion of Shari’ah, since its establishment in 2000, has been at the forefront of the struggle for the revival of Islamic culture and civilisation, particularly the heritage established by the revered Shehu Uthman Dan Fodio.

“The Sarkin Musulmi, to us and the millions of Nigerian Muslims, represents our belief system and heritage. Sokoto is not just a city or a State, to us, it is a symbol of our glorious past. The beauty of it in democracy is that it accords us the absolute right to guard and protect our religious heritage through all democratic means, and this we are determined to actualise.”

The statement said that for the political institution at all levels to earn its respect and loyalty, it must respect what the Centre holds most dear and not seek to rubbish it in any form.

“We call on the Sokoto State Government to ignore such associations that do not have the sincerity of purpose of telling truth to power. We are stakeholders in the Sultanate institution and we object to toying with it by any political office holder,” it added.