Mosque committee finally sacks Imam for criticizing Buhari�

The Mosque Committee of the Apo Legislative Quarters has finally sacked Sheikh Nuru Khalid over his anti-government sermon made last Friday.

Khalid had censured President Muhammadu Buhari over the unabated spate of killings in the country. Until his sack, Khalid served the mosque’s chief imam.

Sequel to Khalid’s suspension, the chairman of the mosque committee, Senator Saidu Dansadau, announced on Monday that he had been relieved of his job.

Dansadu said Khalid had not shown any remorse despite his suspension.

The committee also described the cleric’s stand as “un-Islamic”.

The suspension letter reads: “We regret to inform you that from today, April 4, 2022, you have been disengaged from the services of the mosque. This action is occasioned by the non-remorseful attitude you exhibited following your suspension on April 2.

“Akamakallah, you know better than me by the teaching of Islam, the essence of administering punishment is to correct behavior. Unfortunately, your media reaction to the suspension creates the impression that you are not remorseful, NOT to talk of humbly reflecting on the consequences of your utterances.

“Leadership demands a great sense of responsibility. If our words do more harm than good to the larger interest of the country or the public. We have a responsibility to maximize restraint for the good of the public. It is obvious, however, that you don’t seem keen to modify your Friday sermon to be reflective of the volatility of the security situation in the country.

“You are an influencer; your words carry a lot of weight, and your words can make or mar our situation. Your words can be taken advantage of by mischief makers, those responsible for these security challenges or enemies of the country for their devilish agendas. As leaders of the mosque, we have a sacred responsibility to avoid utterances that are capable of making a bad situation worse. This is our fear and concern.”