Imams and Islamic scholars in the country have been tasked to take the lead in preaching against corruption to their followers.
They were charged to tailor their sermon towards promoting accountability and transparency in public and private sectors.
This admonition was made in Lagos on Thursday at the sensitization programme for Imams and Scholars across Lagos state organized by Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society.
This is just as the state government vowed to engage some religious leaders including Pastors and place them on salary to assist in reorienting the people to shun corruption and immorality.
Chairman of the occasion and Lagos Commissioner for Home Affairs, Dr. Abdulhakeem Abdulateef said Lagos state government will continue to interact with leaders of different faiths and "we shall be willing to even engage many of them by making provision for their salaries so that they can assist government to re-orientate the people for good”.
He tasked Imams as well as Pastors to be above board and encourage their followers to shun corruption.
“Imams and Pastors are believed to be men of God. So we need all of you to help us to encourage the right values in the society particularly in the area of accountability and anti-corruption.
“We must remember that the Almighty Allah will ask all of us to render account of our deeds in the hereafter. So the Imams and other religious clerics should lead us in the right direction because they are our leaders”, he said.
National Chief Imam and Executive Director of Al-Habibiyah Society of Nigeria, Imam Fuad Adeyemi said the organization was galvanizing Imams and clerics towards proper accountability and transparency through faith-based intervention.
Representative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Umar Hadeja, praised the Islamic body for partnering with the EFCC on message of anti-corruption.
He said the EFCC would not relent in its efforts at engaging religious bodies as veritable tools to spread the gospel of war against corruption among Nigerians.
