Tijaniyya Muslim Council applauds Prez Akufo-Addo for fight against galamsey

The President and Leader of the Tijaniyya Muslim Council of Ghana, Sheikh Khalifa Abul-Faidi Abdulai Ahmad Maikano, has urged President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo not to relent in his fight against illegal mining.

“We hail and appreciate your efforts in combating the menace of galamsey in the country. And, if you want to know, the populace of the country are happy about that. Congratulations, sir,” he said.

Sheikh Maikano made the call when he led a delegation from the Tijaniyya Muslim Council of Ghana to pay a courtesy call on President  Akufo-Addo at the Flagstaff House in Accra last Monday.

The visit was also meant to congratulate the President on his victory in the December 2016 general election and also pledge the support of the council for the President’s vision.

Tijaniyyas sidelined

Sheikh Maikano said the Tijaniyya Muslim Council had been sidelined by previous administrations, adding: “We have been forgotten, notwithstanding all efforts by my late father, who instituted annual Quranic recitations to ensure peace in Ghana.”

“When vehicles were distributed to religious organisations and some chiefs, we were conspicuously left out,” he complained.

He said efforts he and the council had instituted to bring foreign investment into the country in previous years were also not given the necessary support by previous governments.

He expressed the hope that there would be more collaboration between the Akufo-Addo-led administration and the council, particularly in the area of creating jobs for the youth.

 Land for agriculture

Touching on agriculture, Sheikh Maikano said the Tijaniyyas had vast tracts of land in all regions of the country and advocated the need for a partnership between them and the government to embark on the cultivation of cashew, cocoa, rubber, maize and soya beans as a means of diversifying the country’s agriculture.

The Tijaniyya Muslim Council, he said, was endowed with creative and talented members who could be put at the disposal of the government for the realisation of its development agenda.

 President’s response

President Akufo-Addo expressed appreciation for the visit and said he had been to Prang in the Brong Ahafo Region, the headquarters of the Tijaniyyas, and knew how hundreds of its members took their spiritual nourishment from Sheikh Maikano.

He gave an assurance that the government would hold discussions with the council and explore ways by which Prang could be developed into a major tourist destination for the country and also engage the sect in other areas of co-operation.

The President expressed the hope that the friendship he had with the Tijaniyyas, even before becoming President, would grow from strength to strength.

“I will continue to expect you to pray for me and my government, so that God will give us wisdom and a good heart to carry out the task given to me,” he said.

Writer’s email: victor.kwawukume@graphic.com.gh