The Chief Imam of Al-Hilal Crescent Central Mosque, Ilorin, Kwara State, Prof. Yusuf Lanre Badmus, has described hikes in school fees in federal universities across Nigeria as an attempt by the government to privatise the institutions, cautioning that such move is wrong.
Badmus spoke during his Friday Juma’at sermon at the mosque where he reeled out 10 principles for a leader to succeed.
He said leadership is a huge responsibility for those who have been bestowed with the positions, advising them to lead with fear of God and be accountable to the followers.
Badmus, a Professor of Islamic Studies, said it was wrong to privatise federal universities in a veiled reference to the increment in school fees across federal universities where students now pay high fees as obtained in private universities.
Daily Trust reports that students of federal universities had protested the fee hikes but the protest did not yield much result as the increase had been implemented in most federal universities.
Reeling out the principles for a leader to succeed according to Sultan Bello, son of Abdullahi Uthman Danfodiyo, Badmus stated that leaders should not display acts of tyranny.
According to him, one of the principles of a successful leadership is knowledge and that a leader should promote the pursuit of knowledge.
He said, “No leader should make an attempt to privatise federal universities. Presently people are finding it difficult to sponsor themselves. Now when you privatise, you are killing educational endeavours of the people, you should learn and avoid such a thing.
“The first major principle on which you are going to build your leadership is Justice. You have to be just. If you are just Allah will continue to give you the divine light to be able to navigate the very difficult responsibility of governance.
“You have to develop the principle of consultation. You have limited knowledge but you have people around you who are more knowledgeable.
“Then number three is Accountability which crying for attention in our contemporary time. If you are able to escape the hands of EFCC or ICPC in this life you would not be able to escape in the hereafter.
“Number four exemplary leadership. You must be a leader that other people would be praying that they want to emulate you. Don’t be a leader that people would be cursing because you are not doing well.
“Then number five provision of welfare for the people. How will you be happy? How will you be celebrating when people under you are suffering, when they are experiencing hardship?”
He stated that a leader must ensure sustenance of the rule of law, saying this is needed in contemporary society.
The Chief Imam also listed military preparedness as a major principle, saying when buying weapons for the military, those in charge should not buy inferior weapons.
“Then as a leader you must be trustworthy. You must not use the state resources for your personal benefits,” he added.
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