Northern clerics alongside President Muhammadu Buhari government have been criticised over the suspension of the Chief Imam of Apo Legislative Quarters Mosque in Abuja, Shiekh Nuru Khalid.
The Islamic cleric was suspended for criticising President Muhammadu Buhari during a sermon on Friday.
His suspension has triggered mixed reactions among Nigerians on social media.
Some Nigerians on Twitter opined that insecurity will be a thing of the past if Northern clerics speak the truth against the government just like Sheikh Khalid and Pastor Enoch Adeboye.
Here are some comments gathered by PulseNets from Twitter;
@Gimbakakanda “Just read that Sheikh Nuru Khalid of Apo Juma’at Mosque has been suspended by the mosque for criticizing Buhari’s refusal to visit Kaduna over last Monday’s train attack. We blame our clerics for being enablers of poor governance, here we’ve one being victimized for truth-telling.”
@Al’ameen “The truth is these insecurities won’t be this bad if our scholars are speaking truth to power the same way Sheikh Nuru Khalid is doing but they choose to keep quiet. Do they love Buhari more than the way they love the north and Nigeria? Do they love their pockets more than our lives?
@OpeyemiBabalola “Paul Adefarasin, Mathew Kukah, Sheikh Nuru Khalid, Baba Adeboye and others have all said the same thing about king Nebuchadnezzar and his administration. I hope “elites” won’t be on the fence next year.”
@ShehuZubair “Even before the almighty Allah Sheikh Nuru Khalid has done his own part. They can only succeed in suspending him here on earth. But can’t take away his God given knowledge. Yeye Government.”
@funshographix “In 2015. El-Rufai cursed Jonathan, Pantami cursed Jonathan. All the Imams and politicians in the North cursed Jonathan. Their music was Jonathan must go. But now It’s un-islamic for Sheikh Nuru Khalid to criticize Buhari for failing to protect the lives and properties of the people.”
@Sadiq “For those who are responsible for the removal of Sheikh Nuru Khalid, the now former Chief Imam of Appo Mosque, indeed they are the losers because he has nothing to lose, his ilm (knowledge) will always follow him wherever he goes. May Allah replace for him with a better choice.”
@Am_Saleem “Sheikh Nuru Khalid fault was calling out this incompetent Government for showing lackadaisical manner to commiserate with the victims of Abuja-Kaduna train attack. He was suspended off his duty for telling them the truth. I think this is why clerics are afraid to call Buhari out.”
@Ayemojubar “Give me 100 Sheikh Nuru Khalid in the NORTH that have sworn with their lives to speak truth to power, to their followers and never BOW to any Baal in Aso Rock and I will show you a Northern Nigeria that will be greater and richer than Dubai + Qatar combined in few decades to come.”
@Farees “We’ve reached a level of suspending preachers who speak out for the voiceless, I see no fault in calling the government out about this insecurity, Sheikh Nuru Khalid did nothing wrong, and his bravery will forever be remembered.”
@Kabah “Sheikh Nuru Khalid spoke the truth to the power that be. I wish other Clerics from the North be bold enough to challenge those at the helm of affairs to have a rethink and do the necessary things to avert future calamity.”
@Baffan_D “Removing Sheikh Nuru Khalid as Chief Iman Appo mosque clearly shows that within our religious leaders there are hypocrites that know what is going on and don’t want the truth to be voiced out. I stand with Sheikh.”
