By Ikeoluwa Olasubomi
The Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adeyemo Adejugbe, Aladesanmi 111, has ordered the Chief Imam of Ekiti State, Alhaji Sheik Jamiu Kewulere to disband the Sharia Panel constituted by the religious institution.
Recalled that the Independent Shariah Arbitration Panel recently held its inaugural sitting in Ado Ekiti to provide arbitration based on Islamic jurisprudence.
Speaking with journalists in his palace on Saturday, the monarch said the panel has been misconstrued by the public, hence the need to disband for peace to reign in Ekiti.
In his justification, Alhaji Sheik Jamiu Kewulere confirmed the existence of the committee, saying it was basically instituted to resolve issues among couples and the distribution of will among children.
He pointed out that the panel does not adopt the practice of the sharia law known to people, but to resolve issues and instill peace among couples under the Islamic religion.
“We don’t have problems with people with other religions, if they want to scatter here, we will never agree to it.
“All we want here in Ekiti is peace, we don’t want anything else apart from that.We made a committee to settle disputes among couples in the Islamic religion.
“We don’t discriminate in any form, we don’t have hatred towards people. Sharia is not the way peopleperceived it, for you to summon us, it’s also sharia. We are using it to resolve issues.
“The reason for this sharia is based on the issue of inheritance (distribution of will) and marriage, it’s very common among we Muslims. We want to be using it to settle it among ourselves to avoid escalation of violence”.
However, the Monarch tasked the Chief Imam to cancel the panel with immediate effect for the welfare of Ekiti residents.
“The situation we are in Nigeria is very delicate, we have to be very careful.
The committee is not supposed to come up at the moment because you have been making peace and settling issues for many years before you thought of setting up the committee.
“Your intention might be pure but the meaning attached to it is very different and will constitute chaos in the society. Let’s disband the committee, it doesn’t exist and it will never exist. it doesn’t guarantee peace”. The Monach insisted.
