Gov Yusuf’s Aide Comrade Albarra Rejects Criticisms Against Mass Wedding,Says Programme Justified
By Abdullahi Yusuf
An aide of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State, Comrade Al-Amin Albarra,has rejected criticisms against the recent Mass Wedding programme sponsored and conducted by the State Government, describing the claims as baseless.
Albarra, who is the Senior Special Assistant(SSA I) on Publicity to Governor Yusuf, also described the criticisms as “politically motivated.”
He told NewsFair that those criticizing the programme were doing so because they were not involved in its conception and implementation, saying that no amount of criticisims would deter the State Government from further pursuit of the scheme.
“The people criticizing our mass wedding programme citing certain verses from the Holy Qur’an and the traditions of Prophet Muhammad(SAW) are actually doing so out of envy, as they are misinterpreting the Holy book to achieve their objective, but they will not succeed,” he said.
He said the main objective of the initiative is to assist families of both suitors and spinsters to give out their sons and daughters in marriage by providing them with the necessary items including beds and mattresses, fooddtuff, clothes,dowry and start-up grants for business.
The SSA also rejected the criticism that the mass wedding initiative is being implemented at the expense of other programmes such as water supply and healthcare.
Alongside the mass wedding scheme,he said, the Governor Abba Yusuf administration had stepped up efforts to improve healthcare,water supply, provide infrastructure including roads and bridges aimed at making life easier for the people of the state.
“All lovers of Kano State, its progress and development, including Islamic Scholars, should, therefore, hail the mass wedding initiative and His Excellency,Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, and not criticize it using wharped interpretation of Islamic teachings.
“They should emulate Sheikh Ahmad Abubakar Gumi by disseminating the true teachings of Islam and supporting all government policies and programmes aimed at improving the lives of the people.
“The just-concluded mass wedding was the second phase of the programme, and by the grace of God, subsequent phases are underway all aimed at bettering the lives of the people of Kano State,”Albarra added.
Recall that Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf had officiated the mass wedding of 1,500 couples, describing the initiative as “a bold social intervention aimed at restoring hope, strengthening families and promoting moral values across the state.”
Recall also that a prominent Islamic Scholar,Sheikh Hadi MaiHula Sanka,had said that the programme is forbidden in Islam, arguing that Allah(SWT) had not made it compulsory for a Muslim to get married,unless he has the wherewithal.
“Allah has not made marriage compulsory for a Muslim who does not have the means; the State Government’s Mass Wedding initiative is, therefore, unlawful,” he said.
He stated that the Holy Qur’an has made it clear that Zakkat,Hajj pilgrimage and marriage can only be undertaken by a Muslim that has the means.
“It is, therefore, wrong for state governments to be using people’s money for mass wedding.It is a misplaced priority, because there are more pressing needs such as improved water supply and healthcare to finance,” the Islamic cleric said.
He, therefore, urged the Kano State Government to halt the implementation of the mass wedding initiative and channel the state’s resources to the training of the suitors to acquire skills that would make them self reliant.
He also advised other state governments wishing to copy the mass wedding initiative to abandon the idea and priotize other areas of human needs.