Sheikh Khalid and the sycophants in the corridors of power

BY ALABA ABDULRAZAK

Sheikh Muhammad Khalid, the former chief imam of the Apo Legislative Quarters Mosque, would not have become so popular as he is today if he had not taken the ‘bull by the horns’ to speak the truth to the powers that be. In a country where many clerics have become instruments of deceit and propaganda for government and political office holders, Sheikh Khalid decided to pitch his tent on the side of the truth and refused to join the bandwagon of praise singers.

He is one of the few clerics who could speak the truth to power without thinking of whose ox will be gored. In a country like Nigeria where sycophants are found everywhere, speaking the truth to those in power can be quite unsettling.

Today, Sheikh Khalid represents the voice of the voiceless. He represents a father whose wife and children were killed in his presence. He represents those women whose husbands and male children were slaughtered in their presence by bandits. Sheikh Khalid represents all the victims of injustice in Nigeria.

Even in his sermons, he never exonerated himself from the myriads of problems bedevilling the nation. Nigeria under the present administration is gradually becoming a ‘failed nation’. Sheik Khalid told President Muhammadu Buhari how he has failed Nigerians and instead of those in power to look for solutions to the issue of insecurity threatening the foundation of our existence as a nation, he was sacked.

In his words, he said: “Mr President you have failed us, under your watch bandits are killing Nigerians like fowls.

“Is there nobody to take responsibility? I want to believe that we have all failed. I mean — I failed as an Imam to teach you that life is sacred. You all failed as parents to teach your children that killing is bad. Our community leaders failed, our politicians failed, governors failed, especially His Excellency, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, you have failed us.

“You have been given four years and an addition, yet people are dying like fowls. Killing is becoming the norm in Nigeria under your watch Mr. President. If there is no Nigerian to tell you, I will take the responsibility of telling you and I will take the responsibility of telling you and I will take the responsibility for the consequences because the lives and properties of Nigerians are above all.

“Let me tell you, Mr. President, under your watch, bandits are demanding, are taxing Nigerians- is that the provision of the constitution of Nigeria? Under the constitution of Nigeria, no one has the right to tax any Nigerian except being authorised by the federal government.”

One would have expected a responsive and responsible government to take urgent actions about the issue of insecurity raised in his sermon but a former Zamfara lawmaker, Senator Sa’idu Dansadau, who is the chairman of the committee for Apo Legislative Mosque took it upon himself to sack Sheik Khalid as imam.

Here is a man whose home state, Zamfara, has become the stronghold of deadly bandits. Citizens in Zamfara state are routinely kidnapped for ransom payment, raped and killed in the most gruesome ways.

But because Senator Dansadau lives in Abuja with his family, he believes the innocent helpless and hopeless people in Zamfara should endure the continued pain being inflicted on them by the bandits.

One would have expected Senator Dansadau, who represented Zamfara Central senatorial zone years ago, to be one of the leading voices from the state to use his position and influence as a former lawmaker to call on the government and national assembly to come up with urgent solutions that can put an end to the ongoing killings, kidnapping, maiming and others being experienced in the country. But that is not the case.

What is expected of any person with integrity is to speak the truth about what is morally wrong, unjust and despicable. To speak one’s mind, to challenge injustice, kidnapping, exploitation, rape and the unlawful taking of life is a serious obligation.

It is the right thing to do so, supposedly without fear of retaliation and persecution. That exactly is what Sheik Muhammad Khalid has done and which has stirred the hornets’ nest of sycophants in the corridors of power.

Alaba Abdulrazak can be reached via [email protected]