Muslim leaders in the have expressed worry over the high rate of youth restiveness, saying something urgently must be done to get the youths engaged into productive ventured.
They spoke in Lagos at the official introduction of Island Muslim Coalition (IMC) in Lagos.
The group is coming together to collaborate on matters of concerns with a resolve to raise funds for the building of Muslim Cemetery, orphanage and old people’s home as well as a youth entrepreneurship centre.
Chairman, Board of Trustees of IMC, Alhaji Rafiu Ebiti said the youth development centre would specifically target the engagement of youths to stem the tide of restiveness in the society.
Ebiti, who is Deputy President-General of the Muslim Women of South-West Nigeria (MUSWEN), added that the coalition would be playing its part through the building of the entrepreneurship centre in Osapa London along the Lekki-Epe Expressway.
He said: “Crime among youths stems from absence of knowledge. So, they should search for knowledge. When there is no knowledge, you think going that route is better. It is a fickle that will overtime disappear no matter the amount of money you make from it. Allah will render it useless. It may take time. If you don’t work for something, it is not going to last with you.”
Also speaking, a Trustee of IMC, Alhaji Ariyo Olushekun, described IMC as a platform to strengthen collaboration among the Muslim faithful in the Island axis.
He said: “IMC is not another organisation in the real sense of it. There are several Islamic organisations and communities that exist within the Island. This is only a coalition of those organisations so that it enables them come together to work as one for us to achieve synergy. So, if every organisation is trying to do one thing or the other on their own, it takes a long time to achieve success and for it to be effective. But where they all come together and pool resources, they can achieve success in a faster way.
“Generally speaking, we are looking forward to working on projects that will benefit the Muslim ummah.
For instance, the corpse in the cemetery should face the qiblah, but many of the ones around are not always so. There are also ways of preparing the grave. All these are not present in the ones available. And besides, what is available now is not sufficient…”
He also advised the youths “to first learn the tenets of Islam and imbibes the teachings of Islam and practise them. If you follow the teachings of Islam in anything you are doing, you will succeed.”
Managing Director of Med-View Airline, Alhaji Muneer Bankole decried the breakdown of family ties while appealing to parents to take the training of their children with utmost seriousness.