Seventy Imams in Kaduna State have been impacted with life skills in a bid to fight corruption in Nigerian societies.
Speaking at the training in Kaduna organised by Al-Habibiyah Islamic Society, the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer of the organisation, Yusuf Auwal said the training workshop is aimed supporting government’s efforts in minimising or eradicating corruption in the society.
According to him, “We have been working with these selected scholars for over two years because we think that with an Islamic setting through the use of the scholars, we will be able to reach a larger number of people in a particular community that can support and sensitise Nigerians on the need to rise up against corruption.”
“We are also integrating source of funding for investment purposes because we know some of the challenges the scholars face especially in the issue of corruption is poverty that is why we are sensitizing the scholars on how to be economically empowered so that they can step down the training to their followers,” he added.
He noted that in the course of the training the scholars will be linked with sources of funding through Jaiz Bank and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigerian (SMEDAN).
Imam, Al-Habibiyah Islamic Society, Kaduna State Branch, Misbahu Raji expressed optimism that the training will ensure self-sufficiency of imams and their followers saying it will go a long way in tackling corruption.
A resource person from Da’awa Institute of Nigeria (DIN), Ibrahim Khalil noted that the challenges the country is facing is not the issue of immorality adding that, “The only thing we ought to focus on is exercising justice in the society. “
He expressed that if Nigerians are able to exercise justice in the society, all other vices will diminish saying, “If not, we will continue to remain where we are and continue to have more problems than we are facing today.”
He appealed to the government to exercise and establish justice no matter what because it is the only panacea to a peaceful environment.
On his part, Manager, SMEDAN, Kaduna office, Badamasi Barau said the agency is boasting the capacity of the scholars and giving them more information on how to adequately develop and sustain businesses.