By MUHAMMAD SABIU, Kaduna

An Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Abubakar Gumi has said politicians who attended the wedding of Yusuf Buhari with hired jets are not different from bandits.

“People think only those in the bush (bandits) milk us dry, no! Even our leaders milk us dry. Where did they get the money to hire all these jets?” he said

Recall, the president’s son, Yusuf, married Zarah Nasir Bayero, the daughter of Emir of Bichi, Nasiru Bayero in a grand ceremony that was witnessed by creme de la creme in Bichi and Kano on Friday and Saturday.

Speaking during a preaching session at Sultan Bello mosque, Kaduna on Friday evening, Sheikh Gumi described the hiring of private jets to attend the wedding as a waste of public funds.

Citing example with one of the disciples of the holy Prophet Umar bn Kattab, he said the Caliph of Islam (Umar) once took 16 dinar, which is equivalent to N2,040,000 today, from the treasury as estacode to Hajj.

However, after he returned he (Umar) admitted to Abdallah that they wasted public funds.

“Somebody told me private jets in Nigeria were all hired for the wedding of Buhari’s son. With your money, you can’t get a private jet because they were all booked.

“Some people are in captivity in both the bush and cities. Hunger is everywhere. People are facing all manner of problems, yet politicians spent public funds on private jets.

“First it was not an obligatory religious gathering. Umar bn Kattab went to Hajj and yet he admitted it was a waste of public funds. Here we are, public funds were taken to hire the private jets.”

He also took a swipe at some religious leaders saying politicians have corrupted some clergymen.

“Some of the religious leaders have become subservient to politicians,” he declared.

“Some religious leaders cannot survive without behaving in servile manner towards politicians.

“Politicians have spoilt the clerics. Atrocities are committed in the country but no one can speak up.

“You are spending money to hire jets to go to wedding, while criminals are holding people to ransom in the bush. The criminals (bandits) are milking the people.

“Some people have never earned N1million in their life, but bandits would demand N10million. How many people sold their houses, farms, everything… and collected loans to pay ransom?

“People think only those in the bush (bandits) milk us dry, no! Even our leaders milk us dry. Where did they get the money to hire all these jets?

“In one of the states, some pictures of a dilapidated hospital were sent to me. The roof was blown off and a patient was lying on the bed. That governor is in Kano to attend wedding.

“How many schools were rehabilitated? The money that should be used to cater for the people is the one they hire private jets to junket around. Are you not also a bandit?

“We vent our anger against ourselves, other tribes. People are left killing themselves because of poor leadership,” (Sunday Tribune)

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