National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu
The National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu, yesterday talked tough about persons who claimed to be acting and speaking on his behalf.
Speaking to the media at his Fadama residence in Accra, the imam distanced himself from any land dispute by saying he does not own any land anywhere apart from the one at Jorma in Accra, on which a school and a mosque had been constructed.
A section of the media, a few days ago, carried stories about the Chief Imam losing footing on a land belonging to him at Ablekuma Paradise, a suburb of Accra.
He denied owning such a land, adding that “disciplinary action against the person behind the publication would be decided soon.”
In a bid to stop persons who go about claiming to be speaking on his behalf, he urged the public to only give credence to communiqué issued from his office by his advisory board and his spokesperson who was Sheikh Aremiyao Shaibu.
He further encouraged the media to authenticate information from his office by either directly contacting him or his spokesperson.
“Don’t be quick to spread any news. Interrogate matters before publishing, as I do not own the said land,” he added.
Continuing, he said that “the Office of the National Chief Imam was not set up for the exploitation of any individual. The office was set up for the benefit of Muslims.”
“I want to put things right before my exit. I don’t want a bad name,” he added.
Sources close to the Chief Imam told DAILY GUIDE that this rare action by the spiritual head was an indication of how bad he felt about the unauthorized actions by persons who claimed to be acting on his behalf.
It would appear that the last straw that broke the camel’s back was the Ablekuma Paradise land issue.
By Issah Mohammed