Daily Trust - the online edition

The Zamfara State Commissioner for Religious Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed Tukur Sani Jangebe, recently disclosed on a radio programme in Gusau that his state government has so far disbursed the sum of 17.6 million naira to Islamic scholars to pray for peace, tranquility and the progress of Zamfara State. According to the Commissioner, the sum of N10, 000 was given to each Imam and the deputy imams got various sums of money (presumably according to their rank and the fervency and quality of their prayers) for their spiritual service. This story from Zamfara is one of those stories in our country that sound so bizarre and incredible but are true. There is no doubt that peace and tranquility are essential ingredients for the progress and development of any society. Without them, society cannot witness any meaningful progress. Given their importance, therefore, no one can be accused of wrong-doing if he champions prayers to the Almighty for them to reign.

But strife, violence, petty pride, ego-centricism, dissension, rebelliousness, unfairness, unreasonableness and other vices which give rise to tension and anxiety, as is the case now in Zamfara, are not natural disasters like flood, earthquake, landslide, monsoon rain, etc. Rather, they are man-made. Man-made problems require man-made solutions. As Sheikh Jangebe himself admitted, prayer contractors have had to be hired to pray for Zamfara because the political disagreement between the former governor Sani Yerima and the incumbent Mahmuda Aliyu Shinkafi has sharply divided the state, pitching the thugs and supporters of these two powerful politicians against each other.

We certainly sympathize with the people of Zamfara for the travails besetting them now. But we do not think that the solution to their problem lies in costly prayers worth 17.6 million.  The problem they have is the very well known one in our country whereby political godfathers and their godsons soon fall apart after a mutually beneficial political deal. And their disagreement usually centres on money, the dispensing of political patronage and the competition for political turf to remain politically relevant. This is not a supernatural problem that requires fasting and costly prayers by Imams or laymen.

Rather, what the situation in Zamfara requires is for the political gladiators to sit down and thrash out their differences and save the state from unnecessary destruction of property, tension and bloodshed. After they have sorted out their differences, they should ask their supporters and thugs to maintain the peace. And we believe peace will reign in Zamfara.

While prayer is essential, it certainly cannot be a substitute for right thinking complemented by right action.  There is a time to pray and a time to do the simple thing that is necessary to achieve the result we want. Since God gave man the brain to think and free choice to do what is right or wrong and reap the consequences of what ever choice he makes, He intends that man must reason and do what is right if he hopes to reap good. Besides, didn’t the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) once admonish us to believe in Allah, while also ensuring that we tie our camels? Clearly, we see in the prayer enterprise which Sheikh Jangede is championing in Zamfara an attempt to escape responsibility; we see in it the use of good money to chase illusion; we even see fraud in it. From which sub-head did the Commissioner for Religious Affairs get the money to spend on the praying Imams? Or does the Zamfara State government budget money for prayers? Does the commissioner have receipts or payment vouchers to cover this expenditure? How will this expenditure be retired? Has Governor Mahmuda Shinkafi who is a part of the problem afflicting his state approved of this expenditure? If he has, Sheikh Jangede should have the courage to tell him that if he strives to resolve his differences with his aggrieved godfather, Zamfara would not need to spend any money hiring Imams for prayers. We also believe that if this princely sum of 17.6 million Naira spent on prayers has been used to provide some socio-economic amenities that would provide self-employment opportunities for the poor people of Zamfara, many would ignore the feuding politicians and carry on with their lives.

If the prayer contractors actually mean well for Zamfara they should mobilise other well-meaning people in the state to pile pressure on Yerima and Shinkafi not to plunge the state into anarchy. If both men persist in their recalcitrant ways, that might be the time to fast and pray that the Almighty should remove this yoke from the back of the good people of Zamfara.

	1. 25-04-2008 08:05
	THIS IS WHY THE NORTH IS BACKWARD I traveled the road from Kano to Gusau on my way to attend a school in Sokoto about 40years ago. Recently, when I traveled the road Funtua-Gusau-Sokoto, not much seemed to have changed. The level of poverty, bad state of the roads even though now asphalted, lack of employment opportunities for the youths, failure to extend the railway line from Gusau to Sokoto, indeed, sign of decaying society is the order. I kept wondering, what are the causes of all these despite that a President came from the region as well as some 'powerful' politicians? Now I know, recklessness, profligacy and above all, hypocrisy of the leaders are the causes.  The allocation of scarce funds to pay for prayers instead of providing food to feed the flies-covered mouths of almajiris who should be nurtured to be future leaders is indeed reckless criminality. The leaders in the region must cover their heads in shame. They are the cause of the often much referred to backwardness of the north.  S Mustafa Guest

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	2. 24-04-2008 07:14
	THIS IS WHY THE NORTH IS BACKWARD It is easy to criticise, and I dont believe in paying other people to pray for you as a muslim, but look at yourselfs first; have you done similar things before?. I live in the middle east and I have never seen or heard people paying Imams to pray for them or the nation. This is essentially stupidity of our culture and is not Islam. Guest

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	3. 24-04-2008 06:09
	THIS IS WHY THE NORTH IS BACKWARD Disguising themselves under the umbrella of religion to cheat and squander peoples money thinking that people of Zamfara are fools.One day nemesis will catch up with you Guest

Maishanu

	4. 23-04-2008 17:49
	THIS IS WHY THE NORTH IS BACKWARD This clearly are indicators that those at the helm of affairs in the state lack the true knowledge of Islam and the sad fact that they come to power without a blue-print to develop the state.     A case of being unwilling rather than unable to do what is right? Guest

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	5. 23-04-2008 17:29
	THIS IS WHY THE NORTH IS BACKWARD This is really a case for concern for anybody who believe in the development of Zamfara state.   This clearly shows lack of purpose and direction for the ministry and absolutely weak internal control systems in the state.  Jangebe should know that he will be accountable for the stewardship he's been given in the hearafter. Guest

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