Kano State: Feeding Muslims During Ramadan?

One of the reasons advanced by some politicians, including the current Emir of Kano Alhaji Muhammad Sanusi 11 for Boko Haram militant attacks in Northern Nigeria is the pervasive poverty and unemployment in the region.

They argued that the Nigerian government had marginalized the region for too long and the jihadist attacks were a response to the neglect over the years. But a closer look at government programs in Northern Nigeria particularly in sharia implementing states shows that some of these states fund wasteful, unproductive, redundant and counter development schemes in the name of implementing sharia. Take for instance the current program embarked by Kano state authorities to feed muslims during the month of Ramadan.

When I read the report that the Kano state government had earmarked 220 million naira just to feed muslims during this fasting period, my first reaction was: There Kano state goes again. First, I asked: Is Ramadan a period of fasting or a period of feasting? And let's say, for some muslims, Ramadan is a 'feasting' period, what is the business of Kano state in bankrolling this? What makes feeding people who are fasting a priority for the government? How it that a judicious use of funds for a state which exists in an 'impoverished' and 'marginalized' region. Is this a poverty alleviation scheme or what?

Kano state government plans to use the money to establish more feeding centers, increasing the number from 120 to 175 centers. These centers will provide food items including cooking oil, beans and rices. The money will go into paying a 5-man committee and 6 cooks that have been assigned to manage the program.

I guess other sharia implementing states have or are planning similar Free Food packages for muslims during this Ramadan. But that does not stop us from asking again: When did feeding people who are fasting become the duty of government in Nigeria?

Of course anybody who queries these wasteful schemes by sharia implementing states could easily be branded anti sharia or anti Islam or an islamophobe. That is not the issue. I know there are some muslims who object to this Free Food Project but may not speak out due to fear of being persecuted by the islamic establishment. Well, we should not allow name calling or any form of black mail to stop us from asking critical questions and holding these governments to account. Recent developments in Northern Nigeria have taught us that whatever happens in that region affects - and can affect us all directly and indirectly.

Many states in Northern Nigeria have continued to act irresponsibly, funding programs in the name of implementing sharia which do not enhance the development of the region. They devote most of their state allocation to sponsoring Islam while ignoring important projects that can empower the people and lift them out of poverty like providing cutting edge educational programs, and providing business incentives to young entrepreneurs.

Instead Kano state uses state fund to finance sharia courts, sharia court judges, sharia police called Hishba, Koranic schools and recitation programs, etc. Other sharia implementing states use their allocations to build mosques, pay imams and provide financial rewards to those who convert to Islam.

When these 'sharia states' spend their limited funding allocations this way, why won't they be poor and marginalized in a world driven by invention, innovation diligence and productivity?