As part of measures towards ensuring zero (0) tolerance between Muslims and non-Muslims in the Northern Region, the leadership of the Muslims community on Saturday December 10, 2022, inaugurated 28 executives for the Northern Regional Muslims Council.
The purpose of the council is to promote peaceful coexistence between Muslims and non-Muslims, establish guidance and counseling centers in a bid to addressing social, moral, religious and other needs of the Muslim Ummah, promote quality education and skills training of the Muslim youth, promote research in Islamic Theology and collaborate with administrative and traditional authorities for development, maintain discipline, peace, law and order among others.
The Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Shani Alhassan Shaibu, on behalf of the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia inaugurated the council over the weekend on the theme: “Promoting Sustainable Unity and Holistic Development of Muslim Communities; the Role of the Muslim Council”.
Addressing the Council and other dignitaries, Vice President noted that, the establishment of the Council is a very significant step which must be commended.
“The inauguration of the Council would no doubt help in the promotion of peaceful coexistence between Muslims and non-Muslims in the region. The establishment of guidance and counselling centres by the Council to address the social, moral, religious and other needs of Muslims will help address the lack of counselling of majority of our youth who ended up in various forms of vices and misconducts. This will reposition religion to play its vital and crucial roles to national development within the various social, economic and political spheres,” he stated.
He said, the establishment of bodies and councils of this nature would not only serve the interest of those groups of Muslim Ummah but rather would add up to the already institutions and other civil society organizations who have supported the government to maintain this religious coexistence and peace as a country we are enjoying.
He thus, entreat the members of the council to stick to its objectives and open up the Council to all Muslim sects and communities in the region and even move further to broaden the operations of the council beyond the Northern Region.
“I also urge the Council to work to earn some level of integrity and trust of not only the Muslim Umma in Tamale but the entirety of the Ghanaian people”.
“Let us also remind ourselves that the Muslim Community in the region is challenged with a myriad of issues and this Council should focus on addressing them. They range from poor results obtained at BECE and WASSCE, child labor, teenage pregnancies, and I dare say cyber fraud which is consuming our young ones. This Council owes it a duty to make a contribution in resolving these issues for the sake of the progress and development of the region”, he said.
In his welcoming address, the chairman of the council Sheikh Issah Alhassan Abubakar, said the Council serves as an umbrella body for all Muslims and Muslims Sects in the Northern Region, adding the mission of the council is to be an established and vibrant Muslim council and organization that will inculcate the values and teachings of Islam in Muslims as well as addressing challenges confronting them.
“Every proud Muslim desirous to see the development and progress of Islam and the welfare of Muslims must own this council”, he called.
There were other fraternal messages from other councils such as Christian Council of Ghana and Peace Council at the inaugural ceremony who all commended the formation of the Northern Regional Muslims Council and have since pledge to work closely with the council.
Story By: Alhassan Yakubu |www.diamondfmonline.com |Ghana.
