President Atta Mills shuns Chief Imam!!!

The Nasara Club in New York was appalled to learn that the National Chief Imam of Ghana, Sheikh Nuhu Osman Sharabutu, the biggest gun in the Muslim arsenal in Ghana, who would have wished to be part of such an unprecedented historic occasion, the pumping of the nation's first commercial oil in Takoradi on Wednesday, 15th December 2010, was disgracefully shunned by the Mills-Mahama administration.

This is a singular event that cannot be repeated. The explanation that the nonagenarian did not meet the criteria for invitation is quite unfortunate. The spiritual leader is fit as a fiddle; he runs errands across the length and breadth of the country and travels abroad.

This has made our profoundly respected religious leader dejected. His absence in the national program generated a lot of worries and questions in the Muslim communities in Ghana and abroad. Our neighboring country like Nigeria was equally shocked about the cleric's absence.

This clearly shows our president's animosity towards our spiritual leader in disguise.

This unfortunate situation and many more strongly indicate that the Mills-Mahama led administration is either prejudiced against our spiritual leader or insensitive towards our religion.

The president office's vehemently defended itself for not inviting the clergy due to 'long' distance. How long does it take one to travel from Greater Accra to the Western Region? We could see an opaque relationship between the current NDC government and the Muslims in Ghana lately.

The Nasara Club of New York would like to point out that the office of the president's excuse and explanation does not hold water.

There are more cardinal questions to the president's office for its action or inaction.

We would very much like to know why the Mills-Mahama led administration rarely invite our spiritual leaders to the Osu Castle to also offer their prayers and blessings to the nation as such opportunity is granted to the other spiritual leaders on the religious divide. “The father for all” slogan President Mills has been trumpeting loud is practically deficient and hollow, judging by his actions.

This is not in the best interest of a nation with a great population of Muslims.

These are clear indications that the current president, Professor Atta Mills, is strangely going against Muslims. In fact, he has developed deep reservations for the people from the Zongo community.

The Mills-Mahama led government has not done enough for us but only use the Zongo people to strategically play its high political card.

It's widely known that the NDC political party in electioneering period scoops the good and hardworking people from the Zongo communities for their political agenda and later dump them after achieving its objectives.

For the purpose of refreshing our memories, on Friday, 28th March 2008 the nasty incident created at the residence of the National Chief Imam Sheikh Nuhu Sharabutu's residence at Fadama in Accra, this even caused him headache.

This was an ugly spectacle ignited by the supporters of the NDC on the NPP supporters, who were angry about their path being blocked when they were returning from an NDC mini rally at Fadama with the NDC leader, then candidate Atta Mills, and got to the front of the Chief Imam's office where the NPP presidential candidate, Nana Akufo Addo, had just completed paying a courtesy call on the Moslem leader.

The Wednesday, 15th December 2010, grand and historic ceremony could have been used by the president to assuage our spiritual leader and the Muslim community for the horrible act that occurred in Fadama. But Mahama, a Christian of northern extraction and Mills a southern Christian do not have sensibilities towards the Muslims.

Nasara Club, NPP
New York