The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has advised political leaders to defuse tension and end polarisation over the tax reform bills, describing the raging dispute over the proposed laws as unnecessary and unwarranted.
The NSCIA gave the advice at the end of its 10th meeting of the Expanded General Purpose Committee (EGPC), where the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, led a government delegation to brief the Muslim leaders on the controversial bills and other issues.
The meeting was convened by its President-General of the council and Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, at the National Mosque in Abuja.
In a communique signed by its secretary general, Salisu Shehu, the group called for “trust building, extensive consultation and matured and genuine dialogue on the tax reform bills”. The bills, sent to the National Assembly last month by President Bola Tinubu, have been opposed by governors and other leaders from the northern part of the country who fear the provisions would cripple governance in the region.
Rising from Friday’s meeting, the NSCIA described the tension and polarisation over the proposed laws as unnecessary and unwarranted.
The council noted that Nigerians are suffering under the harsh economic climate and urged the government at all levels to make the environment more conducive to business to hasten the ease expected from the reforms.
The council also urged governments across the three tiers to prioritise food security and education to safeguard the immediate and ultimate well-being of the citizens.
Meanwhile, the meeting commended the federal government and traditional and religious leaders for decreasing communal clashes across the country.
Citing a relationship between mining and the out-of-school children crisis, the council urged Muslims to assist the government in curbing the activities of illegal miners across the country.
The council encouraged Muslims to harness economic opportunities to boost their financial independence and explore innovative ways of empowering the youth.
The council also resolved to educate the Muslim Ummah on the need to standardise the informal sector of the Nigerian economy so that the sector’s huge contributions to the economy would be appreciated and acknowledged in planning.
It also admonished Nigerians to be confident of a brighter future for the country and prayed that Allah grants the leaders the wisdom and guidance to make life more abundant for the people.
Muslim leaders across the country attended the meeting, including Rasaki Oladejo, the Deputy President General of NSCIA (South); Yahaya Abubakar, the Etsu Nupe; Ishaq Oloyede, the Secretary General of NSCIA; Salisu Shehu, the Deputy Secretary General of NSCIA; and Khalid Abubakar, the Secretary-General of Jama’atu Nasril Islam.
The Executive Secretary of Muslim Ummah of Southwest Nigeria (MUSWEN), Muslih Yahaya, and several other Muslim leaders were also in attendance.
The NSCIA thanked the members of the Federal Executive Council and the National Assembly who attended the meeting. They include Lateef Fagbemi, Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation; Uba Ahmadu, Minister of Regional Planning; Yusuf Sununu, Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction; and Idi Maiha, Minister of Livestock Development.
Others in the federal government delegation to the meeting were Sada Soli and Aliyu Misau.
The delegation enlightened Muslim leaders at the meetings on the various projects and programmes of their respective institutions and departments.
The council especially acknowledged Mr Ribadu’s explanations of the tax reform bills and the opportunity the presentation provided for the Muslim leaders to engage government officials critically on the bills at the meeting.
Read the communique below:
A COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF THE 10TH MEETING OF THE EXPANDED GENERAL PURPOSE COMMITTEE (EGPC) OF THE NIGERIAN SUPREME COUNCIL FOR ISLAMIC AFFAIRS (NSCIA) HELD ON SUNDAY, 29th JUMADAL UULA 1446/ 1ST DECEMBER 2024 AT THE AUDITORIUM OF THE NATIONAL MOSQUE, ABUJA
PREAMBLE
The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) convened the 10th meeting of the Expanded General Purpose Committee with a view to appraising the state of the Ummah in particular and reflecting on the country in general. The meeting, which was presided over the President-General of NSCIA and Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, CFR, mni, was attended by Muslim leaders across the country including the Deputy President General, NSCIA (South), Alh. Rasaki Oladejo; the Etsu Nupe, HRH, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, CFR; the Secretary General of NSCIA, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede; the Deputy Secretary General of NSCIA, Prof. Salisu Shehu; the Secretary-General of Jama’atu Nasril Islam, Prof. Khalid Abubakar; and the Executive Secretary of Muslim Ummah of Southwest Nigeria (MUSWEN), Prof. Muslih Yahaya.
Eminent Muslims who attended the meeting also included Ministers, representative of the National Security Adviser, Maj. Gen. Samad Akosede, members of the National Assembly, heads of military and para-military agencies, senior government officials, captains of industries, business moguls, youth and women leaders, and other members of the Committee.
RESOLUTIONS
After extensive deliberations, the Council:
- advised the federal and state governments, the national assembly and the political class to immediately deflate the current unnecessary tension and unwarranted polarization when what is urgently needed are trust building, extensive consultation and matured and genuine dialogue on the tax reform bills before the national assembly;
- commended the Federal Government, traditional and religious leaders for the remarkable decrease in cases of communal clashes across the country which could not have been achieved without their critical roles at various levels;
- noted that Nigerians are suffering due to the harsh economic climate and government at all levels should address the concerns of the citizens by making the environment more conducive to business in order to hasten the ease expected from the reforms;
- encouraged Muslims to get involved in harnessing economic opportunities that would boost their financial independence and explore innovative ways of empowering the youth across the country;
- highlighted the relationship between mining and the out-of-school children and urged Muslims to assist the government in curbing the activities of illegal miners in different parts of the country;
- resolved to educate the Muslim Ummah on the need to standardise the informal sector of the Nigerian economy such that the huge contributions of the informal sector to the economy would be appreciated and acknowledged in planning;
- called for the revocation of the private airstrip license approved for a religious leader describing it as an aberration of the highest order that could threaten the peace and security of the country;
- urged governments across the three tiers to prioritise food security and education in order to safeguard the immediate and ultimate wellbeing of the citizens;
- decried the non-recognition of Muslim marriage certificates by certain authorities within and outside Nigeria thereby compelling Muslim couples to supplement valid Islamic Marriage certificates with official marriage certificates some conditions of which are not in conformity with the Shariah. It therefore decided to renew efforts in addressing the unwarranted discrimination;
- reaffirmed its 1986 resolution that the only accredited agency for organising national musabaqah (national competition on Qur’anic recitation), on behalf of the Ummah of Nigeria, is the Centre for Islamic Studies, University of Sokoto (now Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto). No other person or group of persons is allowed to hijack the process or undermine the authority of the Centre on the issue of the musabaqah.
- proposed, subject to the clearance of the Fatwa Committee of the Council, five additional resident and visiting Imams for the National Mosque as a way of increasing the capacity of the Mosque in discharging its religious and social responsibilities to the ummah;
- admonished Nigerians to be confident in a brighter future for the country and be grateful to Allah that though the situation requires improvement, it is not peculiar to the country; and
- prayed that the Almighty Allah continue to grant Nigerian leaders the wisdom and guidance to make life more abundant for the people.
APPRECIATION
The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) expressed its profound gratitude to the members of the Federal Executive Council and the National Assembly who attended the meeting, particularly, Honourable Minister of Justice of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN; the Honourable Minister of Regional Planning, Mallam Uba Maigari Ahmadu; the Honourable Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Yusuf Tanko Sununu; the Honourable Minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Idi Mukhtar Maiha; Hon. Sada Soli; and Hon. Aliyu Bappa Misau for enlightening the meetings on the various projects and programmes of their respective bodies. The Council especially acknowledged the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu for the explanation provided on the new Tax Reform Bills and the opportunity the presentation provided for the Muslim leaders to critically engage with the bill at the meeting. The Council equally thanked the leadership of the Ummah, the Secretariat and the members of the EGPC for their immense contributions to the success of the meeting.
Signed this day, Sunday 1st December 2024, on behalf of the Expanded General Purpose Committee.
Signed
——————————————————————
Prof. Salisu Shehu
Deputy Secretary-General, NSCIA
Read the full article here
