Sharia Council slams NBA over El-Rufai

The Supreme Council For Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN) on Saturday joined the growing list of individuals and organizations who have condemned the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA)’s withdrawal of an invitation extended to Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, for participation in the association’s 60th annual general conference as a keynote speaker.

In a statement signed by its Secretary, Nafi’u Baba-Ahmed, the SCSN said the treatment meted out to the governor by the NBA had cast a terrible smear on the association known for justice and equity.

It also described the NBA withdrawal of El-Rufa’i’s invitation to the conference as irresponsible.

The NBA chapters in Bauchi and Jigawa States had also rejected the governor’s invitation to the conference where he was listed as one of the keynotes speakers.

The statement read: “The unfortunate development has cast a terrible smelly smear on the NBA, which until recently, was controversially regarded as representing the best ideals of justice, equity and the good conscience of the society.

“The decision taken by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to delist Mal. Nasiru Ahmad El-Rufa’i, the Executive Governor, Kaduna State, as one of the speakers at its virtual annual national conference was regrettable and irresponsible of an institution of which I had hitherto been a proud member for over 40 years.

READ ALSO: NBA decision to withdraw invitation to Gov El-Rufai parochial, myopic & jejune –MURIC

“We want to believe that the decision was not representative of all its right-thinking members. For, clearly it has already taken side in the Southern Kaduna crises, contrary to its members training and what it loudly preaches, without listening to the narrative from the other side.

“Clearly, lowly narrow political and religious sentiments have beclouded the judgement of the leadership of the NBA, forgetting the most basic principle of their training and that its members cut across all sides of the divide.

“While we are pained by the decision of the Jigawa State Branch of NBA to boycott the conference, we also believe it is not totally unjustified in this circumstance.

“We will be surprised if other Northern states chapters of NBA do not boycott the event too, to protest this unfortunate and ill-advised decision to exclude Governor El-Rufai, also a member of the NBA, for no justifiable reason in law or common sense, by the leadership of the NBA.

“For the association to have taken a side in a conflict in such a blatantly pedestrian manner is demeaning of its status.

“It is a well-known fact that the farmers/herders conflict is a phenomenon ravaging the entire country. The very least one would have expected the NBA to do, is to constructively engage the government and all parties towards a resolution; not to pick one with religious and political coloration, and taking sides, without any fair hearing.”

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