By Aliyu Ibrahim, Kaduna
The Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Political and Other Matters has held a one-day civic engagement session with women Islamic clerics of northern extraction, under the auspices of the Muslim Intellectuals Forum in Kaduna, as part of efforts to gather grassroots input on political and socioeconomic issues affecting the region.
Speaking at the engagement, Special Adviser to the President on Political and Other Matters, Alhaji Ibrahim Masari, said the progress recorded under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu through various programmes and projects made it important for women Islamic scholars to be part of efforts to mobilise support for the President's re-election bid in the forthcoming general election.
He said the Tinubu administration was well positioned to address the clerics' concerns and demands for inclusivity, and pledged that their support and trust would not be taken for granted as government works to meet public expectations in governance.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, the women Ulama called on government to sustain the tempo of its consultations with critical stakeholder groups, describing such engagement as a means of providing grassroots perspectives that could facilitate quicker resolution of emerging public concerns.
The communiqué further stated that the Tinubu administration had recorded notable achievements in education, security, infrastructure and economic development, and called for the President's endorsement for a second term to consolidate these policies and deepen reforms in security, education and the economy.
Speaking in an interview, Chairman of the Muslim Intellectuals Forum, Prof. Abdullahi Pakistan, described the engagement as a positive step toward a possible shift in approach, where input from clerics and relevant institutions could shape government policy and improve service delivery, particularly around issues affecting the socioeconomic wellbeing of the populace.
The event followed a similar engagement held a day earlier with about 600 senior academics drawn from higher institutions across the North. In a communiqué issued after extensive deliberations, the northern intellectuals expressed support for President Tinubu's re-election, while calling on government to improve public service delivery, expand job opportunities, invest in human capital development and infrastructure, improve education, reduce the cost of living, and tackle security challenges linked to terrorism, kidnapping and banditry, particularly in the northern region.
Attendees at the clerics' engagement included the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, the Governors of Kaduna, Gombe, Borno and Yobe States, Minister of Housing and Urban Development Muhammad Musa Dingyadi Rabe Darma, and Minister of State for Defence, Hon. Bello Matawalle.
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