Africa-Press – Nigeria. Hundreds of Sheiks converged at Kano NUJ Press Center, Monday, and removed the State Chairman of Council of Ullamas, Sheikh Ibrahim Khalil over alleged controversial preachings and high-handedness.
Addressing newsmen on Monday in Kano, a coalition of the various Muslim sects in Kano that include Izala, Tijjaniyya and Kadiriyya, lead by Ustaz Saifullah Adam Assudani said that the chairman of the State Council of Ulama was impeached for being political in running the affairs of the council.
The coalition also announced the appointment of Professor Saleh Pakistan, who is also the chairman of Kano Pilgrims Welfare Commission, as the new chairman of the council.
Some of the reasons they gave for impeaching the leader, among others, include, “turning the council into a political platform by engaging in faceoff with every government that comes into power that include former governors Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, Rabiu Kwankwaso and of recent, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje. His reasons in all the cases were that they disallowed him to contest political offices in his position as a cleric, a situation that has led to the council not benefiting from the government and the government loosing the elderly advises of the council.
“Lack of fairness to all the religious groups in the state who do not have any stake in the council, that include Tijjaniyya, Qadiriyya, Izala and other clerics from religious sects not mentioned here.
“Members are complaining of being kept aside without knowledgeable of what is happening in the council.”
Responding to the announcement, an Islamic cleric from the Tijjaniyya sect in Kiru Local Government, Sheikh Sulaiman Bello Kiru, condemned the removal of the Council’s leader, saying it was unfair and had political reasons.
“We are not part of this decision and it looks more political. We were only called upon to come and attend the press conference from where we heard the announcement that Sheikh Khalil has been impeached.
“We were not consulted and are not aware of anything. The body has no constitution, no tenure for the leadership and is being politicised,” he stated.
When contacted Sheik Ibrahim Khalil described the action as a child’s play which he doesn’t want to delve into.
