22ND EDITION OF VOICE OF THE MIMBARR: DELIVERY ON PROMISE; ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVES- BY DR. RAZAQ BOLAWAYE

02-06-2023/13-11-1444 AH 

In the name of Allah the Beneficent the Merciful.

Glory be to Almighty Allah Who sustained both people and geographic entity called Nigeria to witness yet another change in government. The sixteenth President and Governors were sworn in just some couple of days ago and for the nation to enjoy peace in this moment of our national development is a cause of celebration.

Nonetheless, each democratically elected public officer as a matter of necessity needs to concern himself with packages of promises made during electioneering campaigns for delivery. Critical areas of national development such as security, economic restructuring, job creation, youth re-alighment, agricultural modification, prioritizing education, curbing culture of waste, fighting corruption and workers' welfare as emanated from the manifestoes should be given priority.

Why? Almighty Allah has been magnanimous with the crop of people who assume the current leadership on Nigeria in this moment. It must be borne in mind that the privilege is neither by might nor their power but the grace trailing on their achievements in their antecedents. 

Allah _(SWT)_  categorically enjoined the cross - section of the polity in the holy Quran on necessity of fulfillment of promise made. Qur'an 4: 58, 9: 75-77, 16:91, 67: 22 etc are self-explanatory on this subject. For instance, Q9: 75-77 paints a picture of human quick-becming ingrate nature soon after being endowed with favour. It reads: "And among them who promised Allah that should you grant us our heart desires we shall be charitable and be among the righteous. But whenever a favour is bestowed upon them they turn niggardly and recalcitrant. As a result, they became harbour a breach of trust in their mind till they meet with Allah on their dishonoured promise and untruthfulness."

The noble Messenger _(SAW)_ was reported having said "He in unfaithful, he who fails to deliver on promise." This goes in consonance with the import of the Hadith which says: "Signs of hypocrisy are three namely: failure to be truthful on speech, failure to deliver on promise made and failure to deliver on trust given to him." All these are juxtaposed with the Hadith reported on ultimate end-result of human action:"Do you all know who a bankrupt is? They said: 'A bankrupt is he who is left with no dirham or dinar'. He said: A bankrupt is he who came on the day of _Qiyamah_ and he had abused this, cursed that and slandered that. His rewards will be given to this and that and per adventure the reward is exhausted, the offences of his victims are merged unto his own in proportions until he is cast into hell."

From the above narrations, it is clear that delivery on promise is important particularly on the leaders on whose shoulder lys the responsibilities of fair threading among the subjects. To this end, the new leadership is saddled with periodic review of steward in a bid to remain focus for dependable accountability to mortal aa well as divine. 

Parts of the reflections include the '3rd Chance Syndrome' arising from the botched 1963 and 1993 which became a reality in 2023. That a Yoruba Muslim became Nigerian President is contrary to his being tribal, religious or sectional President. As a father of all Igbo, Hausa ans Yoruba poses Presidency to run inclusive government. The mystery of insecurity, subsumed marginalisation, Federal characters, Quota system, Economic shamble should be addressed to give way for integration of essence avenues for dignity of labour, clamp down on quick-rich syndrome, Youth emancipation through Education as priority and Economic concretization. Labour welfare and healing the age-long wounds across the six geo-political zones would see leaders through delivery on promises. On the contrary, the follower-ship in turn should be ready to sacrifice on the pedestals of re-structuring the nation's economy.

Till we meet again in the next edition, thank you.

DR. R. B . UTHMAN, 

Imam Ansar-Ud-Deen Society Ipaja Branch

- Nigeria