The prevailing economic hardship, insecurity and political crisis in the country amount to a vote of no confidence in the nation’s ruling political class.
The Chief Imam of Benin, Sheikh AbdulFatai Enabulele made the assertion while speaking with newsmen shortly after the Eid-el-Kabir prayer at the Ikpoba Slope Eid Ground on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, in Benin City.
Sheikh Enabulele who linked the rising incidence of internet fraud and other social vices among young people to poverty, unemployment and the failure of good governance in the country.
According to him, the worsening economic hardship in the country has made it difficult, if not impossible, for many parents to adequately cater for or feed their children.
Sheikh Enabulele charged political leaders to emulate the sacrifice and devotion exhibited by Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) for the betterment of the country.
“The message of Prophet Ibrahim is directed to humanity and not to a particular group, tribe or religion. It is a universal message.
“Let us continue to work so that we can have a better life. When we continue to work with what God has revealed, then God will be happy with us. For now, it seems that God has forsaken us. That is why we are in this desperate situation today,” he said.
Sheikh Enabulele urged leaders to focus on policies and programmes that would improve the lives of ordinary Nigerians and to conduct their affairs responsibly while avoiding actions that send wrong signals to citizens.
The Islamic cleric noted that when leaders introduce progressive and pragmatic policies, citizens are more likely to obey the law and contribute positively to society, but “when the leadership is lawless, the people will be lawless.”
His words: “You can see what is happening. They are kidnapping our children, who are the leaders of tomorrow. So what do you expect if the children are not safe?
“This is a failure of good governance, a vote of no confidence in our leaders because you cannot imagine a situation where people have become so desperate as to kidnap our children.
“Most importantly, we also want to appeal to all our leaders, particularly our political leaders. They need to conduct their affairs well. The situation whereby you are sending the wrong signal to the generality of Nigerians will not augur well. People will lose hope; they will lose confidence.
“Imagine a primary election where you cannot conduct a free and fair process devoid of rancour and acrimony, and people are now beginning to cause problems everywhere.
“It is not the best thing. Let them put their houses in order and formulate policies and programmes that will improve Nigerians’ lives because Nigerians are suffering.
“Since 1999, when we began practising democracy, Nigerians have not had it good. There is lamentation in the land. There is hardship. Parents can no longer take good care of their children.
“They cannot feed their children again because of the economic hardship. That is why you see younger ones engaging in Yahoo Yahoo and other criminal activities because of the absence of good governance.
“When there are pragmatic, progressive and dynamic policies and programmes, people will key in and be law-abiding, but when the leadership is lawless, the people will be lawless.
“And so we pray that God should touch all our hearts, both the leadership and the followers”.
Veteran journalist and recipient of A.B.C Yola, Reporter of the Year Award (1997), Hassan Umar Shallpella, works with WAP as a Regional Correspondence. He was trained at Institute of Mass Communication and Technology Jos and Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Training School Lagos.He was a News desk Editor and a Correspondent at the Punch newspaper and till 2019, was the Deputy Editor ofThe Scope newspaper.
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