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A paper presented by His Excellency, Kano State Governor.

Started by Nuruddeen, August 24, 2005, 08:26:28 PM

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Nuruddeen

PUBLIC WEALTH AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN ISLAM:
AN EXCURSION INTO HISTORY, PHILOSOPHY AND LOGIC.

A Paper Presented by His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kano  State, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau at the Annual Kaduna Polytechnic Muslim Ummah Lecure at Tudun Wada Central Mosque, kaduna.

         Rajab15, 1426
         August 20, 2005.

Courtesies,

All praise and gratitude are due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. May the blessings of Allah be upon our exalted Prophet, the messenger of Allah, Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, his companions, the members of his family and all those who tread their path till the Day of Judgment.

Brothers and sisters in Islam, I am expected to discuss ?public wealth and accountability in islam: An excursion into history, philosophy and logic?; a subject that is so vast, wide and all encompassing.  I must therefore indicate, from the very onset, that it will be impossible for me to treat it with the depth and clarity it deserves due to a combination of many silent and loud factors.

In spite of that however, I still chose to speak, rather than decline, because as a Muslim, I submit to the wisdom that I was born a learner, and indeed I will die as one. I therefore hope to learn a lot from you by way of corrections, observations, questions and admonitions particularly on the topic of discussion.

But most importantly, I decided to decided to appear before you, so that together we can rub minds, discuss matters relating to public wealth, which I happen to be presiding over in Kano state, and for which by Allah?s  will , I am certain to appear before the only supreme being on judgment day to account for.

Thousands, if not millions of books and papers have been presented to the  public on the same or similar subject matter. My own contribution therefore is just a chipping- in to help push the already rolling ball a step further so that as a Muslim, who holds public trust and who professes Shari?ah as a guiding light in managing people and their resources, I can avail myself to the opportunity of learning from the vast knowledge and experiences of many of you present here today. In the process, however, I hope to reserve the exigencies and interpretations of the relevant verses of the Qur?an to the Islamic scholars and clerics, and related Hadith to the specialists of that class of knowledge, hoping that the approach will pave way for the melting of views, opinions and understandings.    

From the time man began to inhabit earth as a temporary settler on a definite journey, the issue of balance and proportion in relation to man?s basic needs has been occupying the centre-stage of public and private discussions. Several lectures, books and journal titles, electronic fora, public debates, etc. have ensued in respect to man?s basic needs. Indeed most of the armed conflicts around the world revolve around the issue of imbalance and disproportionate distribution of public wealth.

It has been so, it is so and will continue to be so, because the  whole concept of public wealth and its management by leaders, elected, selected, appointed, imposed or anointed, has been largely and technically misunderstood, misrepresented and misconstrued, over time and within space. This is partly because man has refused to, or has elected not to search far and wide into the various messages of Allah?s messagers , for correct guidance and inspiration. and  the few, who undertook in the search, chose to relate the result of their search to materialistic world views; views which see man?s economic needs in a narrow  perspective, thus reducing and restricting man to a low-base of an animal with materialist instincts only, minimally conscious about the commands of Allah (SWT).

Conventional and materialistic economic theories and practices firmly have their roots in the mistaken belief that livelihood is the fundamental problem of man, and that Economic Development is the ultimate end of human life. But  all theories, concepts and economical approaches to Islamic economics are to the effect that ?livelihood and economic development? may be important , necessary and indispensable to man?s total and absolute submission to the commands and wishes of Allah through worshipping him as taught by and practiced by the messengers of Allah; events so well documented and preserved through the ages.



Public wealth.
   The issue of public wealth has been as old as wealth itself, since the wealth so created by Allah (SWT) was done for man?s ease. Public wealth is thus the collective ownership of all and sundry. It has been a frequent subject of discussion, studies and appraisals, because it is only when such wealth is understood and defined correctly, managed timely, justly , efficiently and Godly that envy among people is eliminated, crime is reduced to the barest minimum and peace and tranquility reigns through out the land, thus enabling man to worship Allah with full concentration, alertness, focus and total submission.


Concept of unlimited resources.
   Closely related to both public and individual wealth is the make ?believe and mischief that resources are limited, as being promoted by certain economic world views. And for our understanding and record, I recognize the need to put this claim on divine scale.

Sura Al-Nisa (3), verse 32 in the qQur?an makes it clear that resources are inexhaustible or limited within the earth and the entire universe. Al-A?raf (7), verse 10 makes it that Allah (SWT) has provided all his creatures with means of livelihood and sustenance even though few show their gratitude for that. Suras such as Taha (20), verse 118-119clearly states that:

?There is therein (enough provisions) for thee not to go hungry nor to go naked, not to suffer from thirst nor from the sun?s heat.?

By the views of the Qur?an, correct as they have always been, what is limited is the life of the user of resources or wealth that has been delivered for a period, and will be terminated by death.
We all know that no one has lived long enough to exhaust the resources at his disposal. It is when human priorities are distorted or wrongly and selfishly managed that they cause some people to conclude that resources are limited at local, national regional and global levels. It should be internalized that so long as a person avoids the two extremes of waste and extravagances, there is no reason to believe that one cannot allocate resources efficiently.

Public wealth Distribution in Islam.
Several verses of the Qur?an and traditions of the prophet of Islam, Muhammad (SWT) Have clearly stated and succinctly laid down reason and objectives of distributing public wealth, in addition to giving the guiding principles in the distribution of those resources, including those whose right it is to have the public wealth distributed in their favour. These reasons and objectives differ fundamentally from those being promoted by other world views. For, public wealth distribution envisions three main objectives.
The first object of public wealth distribution in Islam is to establish, in the world, a system of economy which is natural and practicable, and which, without any compulsion or force, would allow every individual to function in a natural way, according to his ability, his aptitude, his choice and his liking, so that ultimately, his activities may be more fulfilled, beneficiary, healthy and useful. And certainly, these cannot be achieve and secured without healthy and legitimate relationship between the leader and the led, the employer and the employee, the rich and their poor neighbors, those with surplus and those with shortfalls, the haves and the have-not, etc. Thus, without the proper utilization of the natural forces of supply and demand, these ideals with moral target can hardly be achieved.

And that is why the holy Qur?an established the basis for wealth distribution in both public and private sectors, when it stated in Suratul Al-Zukhruf (43), verse 32.

?Is it they who would portion out the mercy of thy Lord? It is we who portion out between them their livelihood in the life of this world: and we raise some of them above others in ranks, so that some may command work from others. But the mercy of their Lord is better than the (wealth) which they amass?.

The second objective of Islamic system of dealing, handling and distribution of public wealth is to enable everyone obtain what is rightfully and legitimately his. Under the materialistic economic system, there is only one way of acquiring and / or enjoying a benefit from public or private wealth, and that is a direct participation in the process of production. In other words, only those factors that have taken direct part in producing wealth are entitled to its share, and no one else. On the contrary, the basic principles of Islamic economics is that wealth is, in principle, the property of Allah himself and he alone can lay down the rules as to how should be acquired, distributed and used.

Accordingly, Islamic viewpoints provide that not only those who have directly participated in the production of wealth, but those to whom Allah has made it obligatory to assist, are also legitimate and natural sharers of wealth.

Hence the poor, the helpless, the needy, the paupers and the destitute have inherent right to public wealth. For Allah (SWT) has made it obligatory on those presiding over public and private wealth and its producers to pass on to this group some part of the wealth. And Allah (SWT) states clearly that in doing so, they would not be obliging the poor and the needy in any way, but would only be discharging their obligations. The poor and the needy are entitled to a share in public and private wealth as a matter of right. Verses 24- 25 in Surat Al- Ma?arij (70), state thus:

?In their wealth, there is a known right for those who ask for it and those who have need for it.?

In certain other verses, this right has been defined as the right of Allah, such as stated in Suratul An?am (6), verse 142:

?And pay what is rightly due to him on the day of harvesting?.

The implication of the above verses, and many more not mentioned here, particular as they regard the significance of the word ?right?, is that participating in the process of production of wealth is not the only source or yardstick of the right to wealth. Islam proposes to distribute wealth (public or private) in a manner that those whom Allah has accorded fair share from that wealth should be given their due

The third Islamic view in public wealth distribution, and which the religion attaches great importance to, is the eradication of the concentration of wealth. Thus Islam upholds the logic of the spread of wealth in a wider radius within the society, instead of circulating it in few hands, such that the gap between the rich and the poor is, as far as is practicable, progressively narrowed down. This is aimed at curtailing and restraining any individual or group from exercising monopoly over the collective wealth of the society. Islam?s target and provision are aimed at giving every member of the society an equal right to derive benefit from the collective God-given wealth.


Mines, forest, un-owned  barren land, hunting and fishing arenas, wild grass, rivers, seas, spoils of war, generated revenues of all forms and classifications, etc., are all considered pubic wealth, the use of which is the entitlement of every individual according to his /her abilities and labour, and without any being allowed to have any kind of monopoly over them. This much Allah (SWT) made clear in the holy Qur?an, Suratul AL-Hashr (59), verse 7, where it is stated:
?What Allah has bestowed on his messenger (and taken away) from the people of the townships belong to Allah to his messenger and to the kindred and orphans, the needy and the way farer; in order that it may  not circuit between the wealthy among you. So take what the messenger assigns to you and deny yourselves that which he withholds from you. And fear Allah, for Allah is strict in punishment.?

These are the moral economic targets envisaged by Islam. They are targets that can be realized only through a God conscious pattern and order.

And they are targets for which the people of Kano donated to us their mandate in April 2003. We went straight away to establish structures that are necessary in enhancing and strengthening the Sharia legal system through which the people?s mandate, inclusive of imagining their resources, can be executed. With the principles of Islamic distributive philosophy at the back of our minds, we created structures and appointed and appointed various people policy with human face, and at the same time join hands in implementing those policies.

That was why we committed close to N 2billion to settle, fully, totally and completely, all outstanding pension claims to all pensioners, dead or alive so as to put a halt to the callousness associated with withholding such legitimate claims, mindful of the fact that, the refusal to pay them, would expose them, their immediate family members and the larger society to monumental and wide ranging hazards; pensions and gratuities that accumulated during the past 20years. That was why we made sure that Kano State Government today owes no supplier or contractor including those who dealt with previous regimes, except those obligations that require caution and thorough verification. It amounts to moral bankruptcy to deny government customers their legitimate claims in the name of ?Savings? when indeed one can settle them, and unmindful of the negative multiplier effects such unholy act may cause. That is why we make monthly payment of salaries and allowances of all those officially under the employment of government a high priority, because we know the large dependency ratio on such income. That was why we allocated huge resources in youth women employment and empowerment schemes through skill-acquisition programmes so as to reduce unemployment with all its associated social hazards. That was why we design and continuously evolve polices and execute projects multi-sectorally with the aim of positively gyrating the larger society and everybody irrespective of tribe, religion, place of birth, political affiliations, social status and other considerations. That is why we give 100% freedom and latitude to all local government chairmen to fully utilized their resources so that together, we can positively turn around things in the society. That is why we established and empowered Shari?ah implementation-related agencies; agencies such as the Shari?ah Commission, Zakkah and Hubusi Commission, Hisbah Board, Societal Re-orientation Directorate (A Daidaita Sahu), Islamic Affairs Advisory Council (Majalisar Shura) and the Anti-Corruption and Public Complaints Directorate, all aimed at fine-tuning, streamlining, implementing and monitoring policies and programmes that are non-negotiable in stabilizing men and women so that they can worship Allah with composure and concentration. All these and many more are part of what we humanly infer as our responsibility as leaders who are presiding over people and their resources by Allah?s will, a privilege which we must account for here and in the Hereafater.

Brothers and sisters in Islam, I went all this long only to identify and debunk certain myopic economic theories that are inconsistent with Revelation and Reason so as to be able to establish a background and a nexus with the second part of the topic under discussion which has to do with public accountability.

Public Accountability
A person legitimately elected to a position of power and authority must recognize, along with whom he exercises that power, that they shall give account of their stewardship even where they willfully elect to postpone it till judgment day. In politics, particularly representative democracy, accountability is an important factor in securing good Governance. Accountability differs from transparency in its tendency to accommodate negative feedbacks after a decision is taken or action is concluded. Transparency enables negative feedback before or during a decision or action. Accountability in Islam is meant to constrain the extent to which elected representatives and other office holders can willfully deviate from their theoretical responsibilities, thus reducing corruption.

Going by various Qur?anic injunctions, the Sunnah of the Prophet and record of the rightly guided Caliphs, we see that the principle of accountability in governance was quite fundamental. The companions of the Prophet, inspired by the conduct of the Prophet, were so sensitive to the doctrines of accountability that they would always raise voices when they saw a contrary action. The Prophet of Islam and his companions had sensitized Muslims to protest any semblance of deviation from accountability. But when authoritarian regimes came into existence and Khilafat turned into monarchy, beginning with Yazid, the First Umayyad Monarch, this doctrine vanished into the thin air, with few exceptions. The roles played and cautions exhibited by the rightly guided caliphs are un-paralleled in the annals of history recorded after the death of Prophet Muhammad (SAW). It was reported that Caliph Abubakar stated the following words soon after he was appointed Caliph:

?Now O People! I have been made your ruler, though I am not the best among you. If I do what is right support me. If I do what is wrong set me right. Follow what is true, for it contains faithfulness; avoid what is false for it contains treachery. The weaker among you shall in my eyes be the stronger, until, if Allah wills, I have redressed his wrong; the stronger shall in my eyes be the weaker until, if Allah wills, I have enforced justice upon him. Let the people not cease fighting in Allah?s way lest He abase them; let not evil practices arise among the people, lest Allah bring punishment upon all of them. Obey me as I obey Allah and His messenger; if I disobey them, then do you  disobey me?.

These are the words of a man who changed neither his residence nor his mode of living when he became ruler. He refused to take a salary until his companions forced him to, and even then, on his death ? bed, he commanded that all he had received from the treasury during his tenure should be counted up and repaid out of his property and his lands.

The second Caliph, Umar B. Al-Khattab, said in his second sermon to his people:
?O people! It is your duty, if I show certain evil qualities, to reprove me for them. You must see that I do not exact from you may tax or anything of what Allah has given you, except that which He allows. You must see that when I have control of the money nothing should be spent improperly? etc.?

This is Umar, who used to say:

The property of Allah has the same standing with me as that of an orphan; if I have no need of it, I will leave it untouched, and if I need it, I will take only what is right.?

Asked what his entitlement from the treasury should be, Umar replied:

?Two sets of clothing, one for the summer, and one for the winter, enough to perform the Hajj and sufficient to provide me with food for myself and my household on the level of a man of Quraish who is neither overrich nor overpoor. Beyond that, I am an ordinary Muslim, and I share the lot of all Muslims?.

Caliph, Ali, commander of the Faithful, who took over the caliphate at a time of great tumult, and who was grievously wronged by the dissent of some Companions, used to eat barley meal, hand-ground by his wife, and who used to seal the meal-bag with the words ?I like to know what is entering my stomach?. Ali who as Amir, often sold his sword to purchase food and clothing. He disliked the ?White Castle? in Kufa and preferred living among the poor. Utba ibn Algama once visited Ali and found him sitting with sour curds in front of him. Their sourness and dryness vexed Utba who said, ?O Commander of the Faithful do you eat this stuff?? he answered, ?Abu Janub, Allah?s Mesenger used to eat it drier than this, and used to wear cloths coarser than these? ? and he pointed to his own cloth ? ?and if I do not accept what he did, then I fear I will not join him in the hereafter?. The piety and simplicity of Ali are legendary.

Accountability is part of divinity and Allah?s instructions. When adhered to, it brings peace of mind and heart, peace with Allah and respect before vast assembly of men and women. A leader, who understands, appreciates and aspires to account for his actions as transparently as possible, particularly in these days, comes across a pyramid of man-made obstacles, mounted by him or by others. These obstacles make it difficult for him to account for his decisions and actions.

But what does one expect? And how can one strive to be accountable when the manner through which he rose to the chair is marred by irregularities, illegalities and fraud. An illegal and fraudulent occupation of a public chair will never pave way for accountability. No amount of good performance would be appreciated because of the popular dictum that ?if anything good and legal is done out of illegality, it will be null and void, hardly appreciated by anyone.?

A leader who appoints people of questionable characters and dispositions into positions of trust cannot render accountability. When a leader considers himself as Mr. Know-all and fails to consult with his people on issues that affect them, he cannot render accountability. When leader manages the funds of those under him without proper articulation and planning, such a leader will not be able to render accountability. When the primary aim of a leader is to segregate among people and treat them as either party faithfuls or opposition, as rich or poor, as indigenous or settlers, etc., such a leader  cannot render accountability.

Indeed, only a morally conscious and active electorate can help a leader become accountable. This, they do by ensuring that their votes are not for sale, their health and individual endowments are not meant to destroy or insult fellow human beings in the name of political thuggery; this they do by casting and defending their votes up to the last hour; this they do by entering into a memorandum of understanding with all political aspirants prior to voting them, and ensuring compliance within the stipulations, and resisting all attempts to deviate from them unless with genuine justification; this they do by having the collective  willpower to correct an erring leader and teaming up to recall or have him impeached when situations call for that.

Only a leader who sincerely believes in death, judgment, reward or punishment will be able to account for the trust under him, because he aspires to meet Allah with relative ease.

At the end, Brothers and sisters in Islam, I will call on the Kaduna Polytechnic Muslim Ummah to continue to partner with all agencies and organizations whose endeavours are targeted towards building a God-fearing society, so that ultimately a society built on the rules, commands and wishes of Allah (SWT) is established for the benefits of all and sundry.

Wassalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullah.
o try and fail is atleast to learn. That will save one the inestimable loss of what might have been (positive or negative).

Maqari


bakangizo


alhaji_aminu

Salam

I would like to agree with Maqari based on what many Nigerian leaders do (and did) but Mallam is different. He  has shown extreme care in utilizing the state's allocation.

Kano is the only state in the Federation that publishes its account every month. However, Nigerians have seen so many so-called pious people who shamelessly "stole" ( have only circumstancial evidence) from public account. One of them was reported to be conducting the ramadhan tafseer in Minna.

May God help us all....