About 70 Imams in Kaduna State have been given financial empowerment training and linked with sources of funding for investment purposes.
The training was designed to enable them have financial independence and position them to resist, preach and fight corruption.
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.
He said: “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 the issue of corruption. This is why we are sensitising the scholars on how to be economically empowered so that they can step down the training to their followers.”
Auwal said 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 Nigeria (SMEDAN).
The Imam, Al-Habibiyah Islamic Society, Kaduna State branch, Misbahu Raji, hoped that the training would ensure self-sufficiency of Imams and their followers, saying it would tackle corruption.
A resource person from Da’awa Institute of Nigeria (DIN), Ibrahim Khalil, said the challenge the country is facing is not immorality, adding: “The only thing we ought to focus on is exercising justice in the society.”
He said if Nigerians are able to exercise justice, other vices will diminish.
He appealed to the government to exercise and establish justice because it is the only panacea to a peaceful environment.
The 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.
