El-Rufai Gets Endorsement Ahead Of Senate’s Ministerial Confirmation

Malam Nasir El-Rufai

A coalition of Islamic clerics and organisations in Kaduna state has endorsed the former governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, to serve as a Minister in the Tinubu-led administration.

Recall that El-Rufai was on Tuesday screened by the Nigerian Senate for possible appointment as a minister under the present administration.

The former Governor is among the 28 ministerial nominees forwarded to the Senate by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu last week Thursday, Naija News reports.

Before El-Rufai’s screening yesterday, a coalition of Qur’anic Reciters, Memorisers, and Learners in Bauchi State, had urged President Tinubu to remove the former governor’s name from his ministerial list.

Reacting, however, on Tuesday, Barrister Imam Muhammad Shamwilu, who spoke on behalf of the Kaduna Islamic organisations and Qur’anic schools, said El-Rufai had done his best to improve Qur’anic education while serving as governor.

Shamwilu said the Bauchi clerics spoke out of ignorance because they are not living in Kaduna, and so they are not privy to what – Rufai has done to enhance Qur’anic education.

Quoting from the Qur’an, Imam Shamwilu reminded them that if an allegation is brought before them, they should verify it before taking a stand on the matter.

According to him, what El Rufai did to enhance Quránic education is unprecedented in the history of Nigeria. He recalled how the former government set up a committee to mainstream Quránic education.

Shamwilu noted that the committee fashioned out a curriculum to enable Alaramas, or Islamic clerics who have memorised the Qurán, to obtain a National Certificate of Education(NCE) after two or three years of studying some secular subjects.

He added that the curriculum has been designed in such a way that Islamic clerics can be gainfully employed in any government agency and even study up to degree and postgraduate levels.