The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammed Saad Abubakar III, has joined the growing list of Nigerians who have called for the regulation of social media usage by the youths.
According to him, the medium was being used to fuel conflicts around the world.
The sultan made this call while laying the foundation of the N508 million University of Ilorin Centre for Qur’an Memorisation, in Ilorin, Kwara State at the weekend.
This is just as the Chief Imam of the university, Professor Abdulganiyu Oladosu, told the Muslim ummah that only those who contributed generously to the cause of Allah can attain “piety, righteousness and Allah’s consciousness.”
Speaking at the ceremony, the Sultan, who was represented by the Emir of Shonga, Dr. Haliru Yahayah, reiterated that Islam was religion of peace and urged the ummah to continue to live in harmony with their neighbours.
He, however, admonished Nigerians, particularly parents, to be careful and to regulate the usage of social media by the youths, blaming social media for most of the crises confronting the world.
“Let us be careful about the social media; we must regulate it and sanction at home,” the sultan said.
While noting that the social media should not be totally discarded, the royal father said, “We must develop strategies on how to manipulate that space to our advantage. Their reality is different from our reality.”
In a Juma’a sermon that preceded the launch, the chief imam of the university spoke on the rewards of donating to the cause of Allah.
“The cost of the project is to be funded solely by the Muslim community and not by the university,” he added.
On his part, the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari, said though the university was established for academic purposes, the addition of the centre would facilitate the learning and memorisation of the holy Qur’an.
The Kwara State governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, who was represented by the commissioner for water Resources, Barrister AbdulRasaq Akorede, described the memorisation of the Qur’an as a noble cause in the sight of Allah and urged Muslims to always reflect on its meaning.
He promised that his government would support and encourage the teaching of Islamic education to correct the misconceptions about the religion.