BIRNIN KEBBI (Sundiata Scholar) – The Kebbi Government has stepped-up efforts to transform its Almajiri system of education by emulating the Indonesian model, Alhaji Sani Aliyu, Commissioner for Religious Affairs, has disclosed.
The commissioner, who made this known on Sunday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Birnin Kebbi, said a government’s delegation from the state had recently visited Indonesia to learn from their system of education.
Aliyu said, ” Gov. Nasir Idris had recently led a delegation to Indonesia on the invitation of Zakkat World Conference.” He added that the Governor used the opportunity to strengthen partnership with the Indonesian Government on some useful sectors of the economy.
“We were there to see another form of education and that is education that is related to our Almajiri system of education.
“We visited a lot of schools. Imagine, we saw a school with about 15,000 pupils and none of them is on the street begging for alms.
”The school is not being controlled 100 per cent by the government.
“It is being controlled by the community and the pupils are being taught different kinds of entrepreneurship and businesses. ”They work to maintain themselves, taking care of their feeding, accommodation, clothing and the rest,” Aliyu said.
He said that some of the pupils were enrolled in the system from primary school, while some right from kindergarten stage to university stage, adding that some of them did not even know their parents. “Those who knew their parents, they might not see their parents for a whole year when they are studying at the school, their parents may not visit them for a year.
“But if you see these children, they are healthy, happy and when you see them, you will think they are children of the rich.
”They were all well taken care of. Even the meal they served us was the same meal these children are eating.
“I am telling you this so that you will know that we were not in Indonesia for just a mere visit but to observe how their system is working for them and how we could tap for the best of our societal transformation,” Aliyu added.
On whether Nigeria’s Muslim population contributed to the Almajiri challenge, the commissioner said, “Our population is never a challenge.
Aliyu added, ”This is when compared to Indonesia with over 95 per cent population of Muslims. It is the largest populated Muslim country in the world.
“It has the fourth largest Mosque in the world. They have many things Muslims across the world could emulate.
”Their Businesses are all ‘Halal’ oriented, their foods are ‘Halal inclined, all the activities not in consonance with Islam are prohibited in Indonesia.”
On the main essence of the visit, Zakkat, Aliyu said they were in Indonesia on the invitation of Zakkat World Conference and meeting.
He, however, lamented, ”Some sadists were saying that the governor was in Indonesia to collect Zakkat.” Aliyu, who condemned some damaging rumour, also condemned it, describing it as unfortunate.
”Let me tell you, Zakkat is a pillar of our religion, next to prayer and that is why Prophet Muhammad (SAW) says: Almighty Allah has joined three things with three things.
“Whoever decided to do one of them without another, Allah will not accept it from him/her.
”Prophet told us that Almighty Allah joined Salat and Zakkat, that’s why wherever you hear Allah commands us to be praying five times daily in the Quran, it will be followed by giving out Zakkat.
“So, no matter how good one is in observing Salat, if he/she is not good in giving out Zakkat, the prayers of such a person will be null and void.
”In short, God told us how He destroyed some people because they were not giving out Zakkat,” Aliyu said.
The commissioner said that the Kebbi governor was worried about the complaints of the State Zakkat Board that people in the state were not giving out Zakkat.
According to him , even the few that are giving out Zakkat are not regular and they are not doing so in line with the Islamic injunction.
Aliyu stated, ”As a leader, the governor is expected to draw the attention of people on their responsibilities to their creator.
“In short, another essence of the trip to Indonesia was to see how the Indonesian nation and its citizens are paying Zakkat. ”How other nations succeed in collecting Zakkat, how they are using the proceeds of the Zakkat to assist the people in the society.
“These are the reasons behind the governor’s visit to Indonesia. At the end of the day, we are going to plan on how best to approach the issue of Zakkat to the Kebbi State Zakkat Board.
“So, the governor was not there to beg anybody for Zakkat, neither was he there to see how Zakkat will be collected for the people of Kebbi.”
According to him, Zakkat is given to the people living within the area where it is collected.
Aliyu added, “So, the governor was there to see how Indonesia is collecting Zakkat, how it is being administered, how it is being managed, how it is being distributed and how best the society could be uplifted through Zakkat,” he explained. (NAN)
