LAYI OLANREWAJU, Ilorin
A chieftain and former National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, at the weekend condemned religious extremism, saying no religion, particularly Islam, approves the killing of other people as being canvassed by some religious extremists and bigots.
Baraje, who is also the proprietor of Baraje Centre for Arabic and Islamic Studies, Ilorin, Kwara State, spoke at the institution’s graduation ceremony.
He said: “It is nauseating and condemnable to see some unscrupulous individuals callously killing their fellow human beings, claiming that they are carrying out jihad. No portion of Islam supports this dastardly act. I want those who are doing that to desist and refrain from such nefarious activities. Islam is a religion of peace and it preaches peaceful coexistence of Muslims with adherents of other religious beliefs.”
To this end, he admonished parents and guardians to be more alive to their responsibilities of bringing up their children and wards in the way of Allah.
Baraje decried the growing insecurity in the country, lamenting it had gone worse, requiring a holistic approach to stem the tide. As a way out, he suggested massive employment or engagement of the youth as done in Rwanda which, he said had paid off for the country.
He said: “Our borders are very porous and youths like it happened in Rwanda after their internal war should be massively engaged and trained to man our borders. Education is paramount and our youths should be properly trained in skills acquisition to gainfully employ them and keep them from restiveness.” He said unemployment is rampant in Nigeria and urged government to create programmes through which the youth can be gainfully employed and be taken away from the streets.
On the school he established, he said government had come to inspect it with an assurance that in the next inspection beginning about July 2020, the institution would have a degree-awarding status.
Earlier, the chairman of the Management Board of the school, Retired Justice S. O. Muhammed, called on parents and guardians to belong to the PTA of the school, decrying their lack of commitment to the resolutions of the association. He urged them to brace up and play their roles much more effectively.
No fewer than 31 students graduated from the institution.