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| Dr Isa Pantami |
Renowned cleric and
Minister for Communication and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, left
thousands of Muslims at the Jum’at Masjid of the Federal University of
Technology Minna Niger state disheartened on Friday 31st January.
Dr Pantami was scheduled to give the convocation
lecture at FUT Minna’s 27th Founders Day and 29th
Convocation ceremony, he was however simultaneous slated to deliver the Jum’at
Khutbah at the University’s central Masjid at the Gidan Kwano Campus (Permanent
site).
Khutbah (Sermon) begins at the Masjid at 1:00 pm, the 47 year old however arrived
the Masjid at 2:15 pm (over an hour late). Before his arrival, tempers flared; some people left the Masjid to observe their Jum’at salawat as salatul
Zuhr out of anger and frustration.
A deputy Imam at the Masjid, Professor Adam
Kabir, tried to calm the congregation however, he made matters worse when he
opined that there would be nothing wrong if the salah commenced close to the
time of salatul Asr. People could be heard shouting back at him obstreperously and
the Masjid became a bedlam; he had to leave them to vent their frustration.
Many
congregants in the Masjid expressed their anger at an individual holding an
entire congregation to ransom and suggested that some else led the salah as
they had other businesses to attend to. One worshiper, greatly disappointed, complained
that he had not eating anything reasonable on the day and that the delay was a
violation of his rights as a Muslim. He went on to accuse the leaders of the Masjid
of being obsequious and insouciant to the situation of the congregation.
Dr
Pantami arrived the Masjid premises in company of the Deputy Governor of Niger
state, Mohammed Ahmed Ketso, and calm was gradually restored. The Minister apologized
for the lateness and explained that he was not intimated that he was to lead
the salah and that he and his entourage arrived Niger state at around 1:30 pm.
He then went on to deliver a Khutbah on Self Criticism in English and Arabic
languages.
A number of questions were raised by the congregation prior to Dr Pantami’s
arrival.
VIP Rows
People wondered why the first two rows in the Masjid were reserved for
‘VIPs’, a practice that is labeled ‘bid’ah’ (a sinful innovation) by even members
Pantami’s sect. When Pantami walked into the Masjid, people in the front rows
stood up while he climbed the pulpit; another act that is strongly frown at in Islam.
People lamented that it was dangerous for Islam in Nigeria if somebody of
Pantami’s ilk would approve of such demonstrations being done on his favour.
Dr Pantami concluded the sermon at 2:50 pm (the usual time is 1:50 pm) and salatul Jum’ah was
finally said at the main campus of FUT Minna.
The frustration was this bad
because the Masajid at the two campuses of the University are led by members of
the Ahlu Sunnah wal Jama’a group, a group that expresses support for pristine Islam.
It is the first time in the history of the FUT Minna central Masjid that
salatul Jum’ah has been delayed for this long, some regular worshipers at the
Masjid fear that the door has been opened for its re-occurrence in future.
Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami hails from Gombe state and was sworn-in as Minister for Communication and Digital Economy on 21st August 2019.
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