Palliative: NSCIA establishes Ummah Care Initiative

The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has established a new platform called Ummah Care Initiative to address the socio-economic challenges facing the Muslims in the country.

This is contained in a statement signed by the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General, NSCIA, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III and Secretary-General, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede on Sunday in Abuja.

The council expressed concern about the current economic reality in Nigeria and the devastating impacts of the removal of petrol subsidy on Nigerians.

The council said it was aware that the current challenges were overwhelming as those just recovering from the aftershocks of terrorism and insecurity are now confronted with economic challenges to the extent that meeting basic needs is now a luxury for the majority of Muslims.

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“As part of providing for the needs of the Muslim Ummah, the Council established the Mission for Education, Society and Health (MESH) in 2016 and the mission has been doing much in supporting the rationale for its existence.

“MESH since its establishment has been actively and proactively intervening in the educational, social and health concerns of the Ummah. While MESH continues to do its work, the Ummah Care Initiative is conceived as an emergency palliative intervention to cushion the effects of the current economic hardship on the vulnerable members of the Muslim ummah,” the statement said.

It added that the initiative is without prejudice to the efforts of the federal and state governments in making palliatives available to Nigerians.

“The council is aware that some states are discriminating against Muslims through excluding them from such interventions.

“Given this emergency situation, the initiative will mobilise resources across the country for the benefit of the socially excluded members of the Muslim community,” the council said.

The statement said that after the exercise, the initiative will dissolve into MESH, which will continue with its generic work of alleviating the suffering of the Nigerian Muslims, giving hope to the poor and providing the basic needs to the most vulnerable.

It said that every state chapter will be coordinated by the State Council for Islamic Affairs or its equivalent while the President-General of the NSCIA (Sultan Abubakar) will be the Coordinator-General.

It said, “Each local government is also to have an organiser through the leadership of the Muslim community there in liaison with the state coordinator.”

On resource mobilisation, the council said that governments, funding agencies and philanthropists at the national, state and local levels are to be mobilised for resources.

“Muslims are enjoined to care of their brothers and sisters by giving the initiative their unflinching support. Success is certain where sincerity and sacrifice are held sacrosanct and the Ummah Care Initiative is prepared to be the missing link in this regard,” the council said.