[ 2012-07-13 ]

GES boss worried over lack of leadership in Islamic eduction
The Upper West Regional Director of the Ghana
Education Service (GES), Mr. Iddrisu Mahama has
expressed worry over the lack of leadership in the
activities of Islamic education in the region.

He said no single leader appears to have control
over the Muslim Ummah.

Speaking on the topic ‘‘25 years of existence of
Islamic education unit, challenges and way
forward’’, at the Silver Jubilee celebration of
the Islamic education unit in Wa, Mr. Iddrisu
Mahama stated that the unit over the years has
chalked lots of success including the human
resource development.

According to him, with the effort of the unit, the
girl child now has the opportunity to go to
school, rather than being married off to the next
available man.

Mr. Iddrisu posited that despite the several
benefits Muslims now enjoy from secular education,
the Islamic education unit faces a lot of
challenges citing the case of leadership crises.

‘‘In Wa and its environs, the Muslim community has
a three-arm authority namely the Yeri-naa, the
Chief Imam and Jami at. Their roles and
responsibilities are not properly defined. Hence,
the struggle for recognition, power and authority.
This divides the Ummah especially when educational
matters are concerned.

The Islamic unit manager, whose main concern is
educational (secular), is relegated to the
background by the tripartite authority struggle.
Instead a sect instituted for missionary
activities wants to control education,’’ Mr.
Iddrisu stated.

Government in a bid to remedy the situation
according to Mr. Iddrisu instituted the Islamic
education unit council to serve as an advisory
body but to no avail.

Mr. Iddrisu further stated that the emergence of
new Islamic doctrines has further compounded the
issue and continue to divide Muslims in Wa and
within the Upper West region.

He suggested that for Islam to progress and thrive
very well in the region, the Jamiat, Yeri-naa and
Imams need to redefine their roles and
directions.

He asked the people to drop their ethnic feelings
in order for unity to prevail in the municipality
among Muslims.

The Upper West Regional Minister, Ambassador Amin
Amidu Sulemani stated that government’s vision to
build a Better Ghana Agenda cannot be realized
without quality education.

He said the government has demonstrated its
commitment to enhance education by empowering
schools through infrastructure development to
create an enabling environment for a sound
foundation for wisdom, knowledge, skills and
desirable values and attitudes.

He entreated the schools to pay special attention
to the education of the girl-child and advice them
not to see the girls only as future wives.

Ambassador Sulemani said even though a lot of
progress has been made in girl child education
there is still more to be done in that area.

It is his believe that young ladies will have
better and more respectable marriages if they are
well educated.

Source - Joy News

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