Bello implores religious leaders to support anti-corruption war

Religious leaders have been called upon to voice out their support for the on-going fight against corruption by highlighting its ills in their preaching and sermons.
This charge was given by FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello when a delegation of the Union of African Muslim Scholars paid him a courtesy visit in his office.
He said religious leaders particularly the Ulama must encourage the Muslim faithful to always engage themselves in one form of gainful activity or another with a view to earning legitimate income and hence be able to fend for themselves and their families rather than waiting for hand-outs from others.
According to a statement from his Special Assistant ( Media ) Abubakar Sani, the Minister noted that as part of the strategies to salvage Nigeria the country from the ills that have bedevilled her in the past, the current President Muhammadu Buhari’s-led Federal Government identified three key areas: security of live and property, ending the scourge of corruption and strengthening the economy which he believes must be tackled in order to get the country back on track.
Bello stressed that in spite of the numerous challenges, the Buhari-led administration has recorded tremendous success in these areas particularly in reviving agriculture which has gone a long way to strengthen the Nigerian economy.
He explained that corruption is pervasive and not limited to government offices or workers alone but has also affected every segment of the society, lamenting that even traders in the markets engage in corrupt practices through short-changing their customers by giving have measures.
The minister therefore urged the Ulama to educate the Muslim faithful by making a clear distinction between what is forbidden and that which is permissible in our daily engagements which each, noting that doing so will enhance the success of the fight against corruption.
Earlier in his remark, the Chairman of the Union of African Muslim Scholars, Dr. Muhammad Ahmad Loh from Senegal, called for a closer working relationship between the Government and the Ulama in the fight against corruption, adding that the Union is also working assiduously towards addressing the menace of extremism and radicalisation in the African continent.
He said members of the Union had been in Abuja for a two-day retreat during which they came up with various strategies to support the government in the fight against corruption, extremism and other challenges facing the nation, pointing out that the Union is in solidarity with the steps President Muhammadu Buhari has so far taken to restore Nigeria to its past glory.