Ulama council urges N/Assembly to reject Samoa endorsement

The Council of Imams and Ulama in Kaduna State rose from an emergency meeting on Sunday, declared their opposition to the federal government’s decision to sign the Samoa agreement. The Secretary General of the council, Dr. Yusuf Yakubu Arrigasiyyu, while addressing a press conference, urged the National Assembly to reject any consideration or endorsement of […]

The Council of Imams and Ulama in Kaduna State rose from an emergency meeting on Sunday, declared their opposition to the federal government’s decision to sign the Samoa agreement.

The Secretary General of the council, Dr. Yusuf Yakubu Arrigasiyyu, while addressing a press conference, urged the National Assembly to reject any consideration or endorsement of the agreement, irrespective of the contents therein.

He said the council viewed the deal “as a grave affront to the religious and moral values that underpin the Nigerian society.”

He said: “Such deals are fundamentally incompatible with the teachings of Islam, Christianity, and other religions practiced in Nigeria, as well as with the nation’s deeply rooted cultural traditions.

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“We call upon the legislature to reject any consideration or endorsement of these deals. These agreements threaten to erode the moral fabric of our society and are a direct violation of our religious and cultural principles. We urge the public to remain vigilant and to stand firm in defence of our values”, Dr. Arrigasiyyu said.

He then reaffirmed the council’s unwavering support to the Sultanate of Sokoto, the revered symbol of Islam in Nigeria saying, “We stand in solidarity with His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto, and condemn any attempt to degrade or undermine the esteemed office.”

We shouldn’t trust them – Dr Gumi

Also, a renowned Islamic scholar, Dr Ahmad Gumi, has called on the federal government to withdraw from the Samoa agreement with immediate effect.

The Islamic scholar made his view known in an audio interview being circulated on social media, whose authenticity the cleric confirmed to Daily Trust on Sunday night.

In the said audio, Dr Gumi said immediately he saw the story about signing the agreement, he contacted the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, who confirmed to him that the government actually signed the agreement based on recommendations by three ministers.

He said he was told that the ministers had scrutinised the said agreement, and confirmed that nothing about lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender and queer (LGBT) rights was mentioned.

“‘But he (the minister) told me that the agreement didn’t intend to legitimise homosexuality and lesbianism. However, after obtaining a copy of the agreement, I discovered that same-sex marriage was a hidden aspect of the agreement.

“Nigeria is desperate for financial gain and mistakenly believes it can outsmart European nations by signing the agreement, assuming it can avoid provisions that contradict national laws and still receive funding, which is impossible”, he said.

Dr. Gumi said that even if homosexuality and lesbianism were not part of the agreement, Nigeria should have rejected the financial assistance from European nations, because they were responsible for the country’s sufferings.

“For instance, they claim to help Nigeria combat insecurity, but in reality, they contribute to the country’s instability and insurgency.

“When we engaged with bandits in our reconciliation efforts, they revealed that the drugs and AK47 guns they possessed were supplied to them, as their cattle did not give birth to weapons”, the cleric said.

He said that some external forces contributed to the decline of Nigeria’s national economy and security.

He urged both Muslims and Christians to remain peaceful, saying “I appreciate their courage in condemning the agreement.

“It is time for Africans to give themselves true independence from the colonial forces. We don’t need the Europeans at all”, he said.