The Vice
President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has asked the management of the Zakat and
Sadaqat Trust Fund of Ghana, to invest more in education to build a knowledgeable
society.
This, he
explained, would help to remove ignorance and give way to intellectual
discourse between inter-faith bodies, for the promotion of tolerance and
peaceful co-existence.
The Vice President
was speaking at the 9th Annual Night of Power, an initiative of the
Muslim Caucus in Parliament that brings Muslims together, in the month of
Ramadan, to break their fast and offer prayers and supplications to Allah for
his blessings to humankind.
It is also a
platform to take stock of the Zakat and Sadaqat Fund in which Muslims
contribute a fraction of their wealth, as a religious obligation, to support
and empower the needy and the poor in society.
The 2018 annual
report of the fund shows that, GH¢ 70,204.77 had been disbursed to support the
education of needy students.
Also, the fund
guaranteed loans for 36 students in tertiary institutions under the Student
Loan Trust Fund.
Speaking on the
theme “Fostering Religious Tolerance and Societal Harmony: The Role of the
Muslim”, Dr Bawumia observed that differences in religion were being
exaggerated as a result of intolerance, adding that intolerance was born out of
ignorance on both sides of some Christians and Muslims.
“Education of our
people will allow us to tolerate one another,” Dr Bawumia said and urged the
management of the fund to invest more in the education of needy Muslims in line
with the religion of Islam that require Muslims to acquire knowledge.
Delving into
economic concepts, Dr Bawumia explained that “economics of intolerance” was
more acute where there was poverty, adding that education was the key to
alleviating poverty and promoting tolerance.
He spoke on the
need to build an inclusive society where no one would be left behind, saying
“let us try to live in harmony; building inclusive society is key to promoting
tolerance.”
The acting
Administrator of the Zakat and Sadaqat Trust Fund,Hajia Azara Abubakari-Haroun,
said the fund received 500 bursary applications in 2018 but the fund could not
cater for all the applicants.
She, therefore,
urged Muslims to honour their religious obligations by contributing to the fund
to support the needy, saying “help us to wipe the tears of our needy Muslims
who want to go to school.”
The occasion was graced by the Speaker of Parliament, Professor Aaron Oquaye, Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei-Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, Members of Parliaments, Ministers of State, members of the Diplomatic Corp, representative from Christian Council, Chiefs and cross section of the Muslim community.
By SALIFU ABDUL-RAHAMAN
Credit: Source link
