The Abdulwahid Islamic Foundation held its 12th annual Ramadan Lecture and prayers for the nation on Sunday.
The programme, which was titled “Social Ills and Corruption,” was held at the Tamroyal Multipurpose Event Centre, Alapere, Lagos State.
A senior lecturer from the University of Ilorin, As-Shaykh Dr. Barr. Ridwan Olagunju, delivered the lecture.
While speaking to the pressmen, Olagunju tackled the government, noting that the current administration seems not prepared to solve the challenges facing the country.
He noted that the people were all aware of the social ills going on in the country, which were banditry, terrorism, corruption, human killing, and rituals.
He said: “All this and many more are problems we are facing today in the country, and it does not appear that the current administration is not ready to help the citizens.
I say this without any form of apology because for about seven years, President Muhammadu Buhari has been sitting on top of Nigeria.
“You remember that things are not getting better, but things are getting worse. For instance, the inflation rate before Buhari came to power was nine percent; now it is 25 percent.
The GDP has now declined by four million dollars. The pump price before we came into power was N86 per litre. Now it is N165 per litre.
“The dollars used to exchange for N180; now it is almost N600 per dollar. Things are getting worse and it doesn’t appear that they are bothered with the situation of insecurity in the country. “
Olagunju said Nigerians would quite agree with him that members of the House of Representatives had called for the immediate sack of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Chief of Army Staff.
According to him, “The call for their sack was because the security story of the country is nothing to write home about.”
The cleric noted that the significance of this lecture was to tell the leaders that they were living on the surface of the earth today, but a day would come when they would go to the earth beyond.
Olagunju said for them to avoid the woes that would be awaiting them in their shallow graves, it would be better for them to reflect on how they have been ruling us and change for the good.
They were all present, including former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Otunba Yaccoob Dayo Bush, lawmaker representing Kosofe Constituency 2, Honourable Femi Saheed, and Agboyi Ketu Chairman, Mayor Dele Oshinowo, ably re-presented by Engr. Oyekan Olufemi.
Hon. Femi Saheed, a member of the Lagos House of Assembly representing Kosofe Constituency, said the only way to fight corruption in the country was to start the campaign from home.
Saheed said, “We can combat corruption in the country if we go back to the family as a whole and start teaching our children good moral behavior.”
If everyone in society had good moral behavior, then the country would easily move to a better society.
The government should also put in place sensitisation and advocacy programmes right from the schools and to the family to educate the children against corruption.
“When you tackle issues from the foundation, you will get it to the top and get it right, and this foundation is at the frontline of what the government is advocating.”
Saheed said the Lagos Assembly had recently passed some bills that would further reduce corruption in the public service.
The Grand Patron of the foundation, Sheikh AbdulRafil Awwal, noted that the lecture centered on corruption in society and how it could be handled by the government.
Awwal said this was the reason the foundation invited different clerics and lawmakers to give lectures on the solutions to the challenges and how they could avoid running afoul of the law.
The cleric said if the lessons that had been learnt could be inculcated into the system, then Nigeria would be a better country.
He said the lecture had taught participants and parents to also pay attention and monitor the whereabouts of their children.
The national orientation agency and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency representatives separately highlighted the problems and solutions and reiterated their commitment to partnering with the organization geared towards educating homes, communities, society, and the nation at large.
The highlights of the event were the presentation of 25,000 each to 20 participants and 20 bags of 50kg rice sponsored by Succour Education and Health Foundation, 25,000 each to 6 participants and 23 bags of 50kg rice sponsored by Agboyi Ketu Lcda, and 10,000 each to 10 participants sponsored by Kosofe Lawmaker, Hon. Femi Saheed, respectively.