The courtesy visit by Jama’atul Izalatul Bidi’ah Wa’iqamatul- Sunnah (JIBWIS) Kaduna wing, to Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, has led to a serious disagreement among the followers who accused the group’s leadership of betrayal and associating with an administration that doesn’t have the interest of people at heart.
This reporter learnt that leadership crisis rocked the Kaduna wing of JIBWIS few days ago following a decision by some of it leaders to visit Gov Bello in Kogi state government house, Lokoja, in the name of the association. The visit, according to our source, didn’t go down well with majority of it members across the state.
Further findings by our reporter revealed that there were calls by some aggrieved members for the immediate removal of the Chief Imam of New Market Juma’a Mosque, Mallam Dahiru Hussain, while others were of the view that the entire leadership of the association be overhauled.
According to one of the aggrieved members who spoke to our reporter under the condition of anonymity, “the leadership, apart from playing ethnic card, are also using the association as their personal company which is against the teachings of Qur’an and Sunnah, the principles upon which JIBWIS was built.
“The chairman, secretary and the treasurer are from the same area, they are using the Chief Imam to promote their selfish interest,” the source alleged.
Attempt by some members to protest during the Juma’a service at New Market Juma’a Mosque was averted due to the intervention of one of it leader who was quoted by our source that he accused the leadership of using the association name against the majority consent.
“You are all entitled to your right as enshrined in the constitution to associate yourselves with any aspirant of your choice as individual, but a situation where you didn’t only used the name of the Association, but you went ahead to raise the political ‘4+4’ sign need to be condemned by all,” he said.
Also, there is a raging allegation that Gov. Bello gave Imam Dahiru car as kickback so that in return the Imam would mobilise members of the association to vote for the governor during the November wi governorship election in the state.
This reporter contacted Malam Abubakar Danladi who spoke on behalf of Imam Dahir and the leadership of the association that paid courtesy called to the Governor.
Abubakar said members of the association were happy with their visit and they appreciated Governor Bello for gifting Imam Dahiru a car.
“It is not true that the Imam was given car in other to mobilise JIBWIS members. There was no attempt to remove Imam Dahiru Hussain, our members were all happy, we thanked the Governor for the car he gave our chief imam, above all our visit was rather a blessing,” he said.
When asked whether he is aware of protest by majority of their members on the way the leadership of JIBWIS were using the association’s name to enrich themselves.
“I am not aware of any protest by any member. Like I said earlie, all JIBWIS members were happy, you can come to the Mosque later and see things for yourself,” he concluded.
Our investigation further revealed that what happened was that members of the association differed over the decision by the association leadership to visit government house, which some alleged was done to endorse Governor Yahaya Bello second term bid.
Maitawali’u Nayashi, a renown Islamic preacher was among many those that entertained that views.
Nayashi spoke with this reporter through telephone interview where he expressed dismay over the visit.
According to him, their action is condemnable. It is far from the truth that members are happy, instead we disassociated ourselves from their shameful act.
“My followers, especially our members from Kwana Mosque, Unguwan Makera, want to use this medium to debunk what the spokesman of the chief imam and the leadership, Abubakar Danladi said in defence of this condemnable and shameful act in the name of JIBWIS.
“How could you support a government that failed in all its responsibilities and expect us to be happy and even appreciate the Governor for giving Imam Dahiru a car?”, he queried.
He said Abubakar was only speaking for their group, not for the entire membership of JIBWIS.
Malam Abdallah Abu- Usman, in his own reaction, appealed to the national leadership of JIBWIS to intervene by removing the leadership of Kaduna wing of the association in Kogi State, which according to him is the only solution that would bring peace with the Association in Kogi State.
Abdallah has this to say: “how can people who claimed to be holy descend so low to the extend of endorsing total hardship to the people. GYB is a curse rather than a blessing to the state. This act has made my brother, Maitawali’u Nayashi, to cease practicing any sect, he is nothing but a Muslim,” he said.
But Abubakar Danladi, who spoke on behalf of the leaders, still insisted that there is no member that was aggrieved as the visit was made in good faith.
