Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharu butu and Murtala Mohammed
The spokesperson of the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Armeyaw Shuaib, has taken exception to the remarks by former Nantong MP, Murtala Mohammed, about the dress worn by the Chief Imam during the Islamic funeral for the late Alhaji Rahim Gbadamosi, describing it as disrespectful to the cleric.
For such remarks to be made by a Muslim for us is disrespectful, the spokesperson told DAILY GUIDE in his reaction.
The National Chief Imam Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu’s red, blue and red embroidery of his Hausa dress called ‘agwada’ attracted the flak of the former MP on social media.
“Watch the embroidery work on the Chief Imam’s cloth and you realize how low and pathetic the NPP guys around the Chief Imam can be. They are desperately and shamelessly trying to draw the highly revered Chief Imam into their pathetic politicking. The question is: to what gains? They should be ashamed of themselves” were the words of the former MP on social media and they drew an assortment of reactions.
The colours of the embroidery on the Chief Imam’s dress were coincidental and not deliberate, Sheikh Armeyaw Shuaib told DAILY GUIDE.
“There is no restriction to the choice of dressing by the Chief Imam. He is in control of himself. If the colours of the embroidery on his dress are similar to the NPP’s that is coincidental and should not be interpreted to mean the cleric is NPP.
“He would ever remain non-partisan as the National Chief Imam. He has dealt with the leaders of both the NPP and the NDC,” Sheikh Armeyaw said, adding that he would deal with whoever assumes the political leadership of the country.
“It would have been tidier had the former MP engaged with the Office of the Chief Imam over his concerns about the colours rather than the public vitriolic.
“We have to be cautious in the way we express concerns about issues regarding our religious leaders. We are not all perfect but when we have concerns about issues we should be cautious in how we put these out,” he stated.
In another vein, Alhaji Abdul Latif, an aide of the cleric and part of his household staff, said “we do not decide which colours of embroidery he uses for his engagements although we prefer he is always in white fabrics.”
We take serious exception to the remarks of the former MP which are insulting to both the cleric and those of us working for him, Alhaji Latif said.
The Islamic funeral of the late Alhaji Rahim Gbadamosi, a foremost Northern educationist, drew the crème de la crème of both the Northern and Islamic communities in a cross-faith engagement at the forecourt of the State House last Saturday with the National Chief Imam officiating.
By A.R. Gomda