From: Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
Concentration of the nation’s wealth in the hands of few individuals has been identified as the main cause of insecurity, corruption and social injustice in Nigeria.
An Islamic cleric, Abdu-Semih Hamzah, made this known, on Monday, while delivering a lecture at the quarterly empowerment programme, organised by the Al-Nusi Imran Foundation, held at the Ibara Housing Estate Mosque, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
The cleric, who harped on the need to build an egalitarian society, explained that for the world to experience peace, there must be equitable distribution of wealth to the poor.
Hamzah, stated that according to the Islamic perspective, distribution of wealth among the poor is not a privilege but a right.
“The more the wealth, the more the tribulation in this world and hereafter. Wealth accumulation is not encouraged in Islam because those who accumulate wealth believe that the more their wealth the longer their lives.
“When the wealth in concentrated in the hands of the few, there will be corruption, insecurity and social injustice in the land, the world will not experience peace until they are equitable distributed.” He submitted.
Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Foundation, Alhaji Elias Banmeke, explained that the empowerment was designed as a quarterly programme to cater for the needy.
According to him, the programme was targeted at poverty reduction amongst the populace calling on other well-meaning Nigerians to contribute their resources to poverty reduction in the country.