Islamic council floats programme to cushion economic hardship on Muslims

Islamic council floats programme to cushion economic hardship on Muslims

Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has floated the Ummah Care Initiative, an emergency palliative intervention, to cushion the effects of the current economic hardship on vulnerable faithful.

Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the council, Sa’ad Abubakar, in a statement yesterday, said the body is deeply concerned about the economic realities in the country, worsened by the removal of petrol subsidy.

In the release signed by NSCIA’s Secretary-General, Prof Is-haq Oloyede, the Sultan said: “The Council is aware that the current challenges are overwhelming as those who are just recovering from the aftershocks of terrorism and insecurity are now confronted with economic challenges to the extent that meeting basic needs is now a luxury for the majority of Muslims. For many households, survival is a daily battle, as the number of the poor keeps increasing within the Ummah.”

He bemoaned the situation whereby some states are discriminating against Muslims by excluding them from such interventions.

The religious leader said given this emergency, the initiative would mobilise resources across the country for the benefit of the socially excluded members of the Muslim community.

Recall that the NSCIA in 2016 established the Mission for Education, Society and Health (MESH), which has been doing much in supporting the rationale for its existence.

Since its establishment, the programme has been actively and proactively intervening in the educational, social and health concerns of the Ummah.

After the emergency exercise, Sultan said the Ummah Care Initiative would dissolve into MESH.