Participants at an Inter -faith sensitisation meeting on Faith and Philanthropy organised by Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society on Saturday in Ibadan
By Suleiman Shehu
Prof. Afiz Oladosu, a lecturer in the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies, University of Ibadan, has urged leadership of faith-based organisations to refrain from converting to personal use donations meant for vulnerable people in society
Oladosu gave the advice at an inter-faith sensitisation meeting titled “Faith and Philanthropy”, organised by Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society and sponsored by MacArthur Foundation, on Saturday in Ibadan.
The Islamic scholar said that a lot people in the society were experiencing hardship and religious organisations – Islamic or Christian – through which well to do people channel charities, should ensure that the donations get to the intended targets.
“These religious organisations must fear God and not convert the charity meant for the masses to their personal use.
“Philanthropy act is key in Islam for the progress and prosperity of the larger society,” he said.
The lecture further urged religious organisations to focus on specific areas of needs of the masses that would benefit the present and future generations.
Also speaking, the Oyo State Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Eliza Olukayode, said every religion understand the importance of assisting the vulnerable in the society.
Olukayode said that giving out charity must be a continous efforts in order to make life better for the needy and as well alleviate their suffering and reduce poverty in the society.
“Being generous to the needy is like sowing seeds which will germinate on this earth and earn the giver the reward in the hereafter.
“The tithe collected in Churches is not to enrich the Pastor but to be share to the suffering masses in the society,” the CAN chairman said.
He called on philanthropists in the society to give genuinely, with compassion, empathy and love and continue to impact people’s lives before the table turn around, adding that nobody known tomorrow.
The Al-Habibiyyah Coordinator for Faith and Philanthropy Project, Mallam Ibrahim Idris, said the aim of the programme was to share ideas, knowledge and experience on giving from various scriptures.
Idris said that the event further aimed to set up a structure on how religious organisations could raise funds in assisting the less privileged in the society without relying on foreign donors or contributions from Mosques and Churches.
The coordinator said that Islamic and Christian organisations must come together, mobilise resources and build structure to fund humanitarian gesture in the society, adding that global fund for philanthropy was gradually shrinking.
In his remarks, Consultant for Al-Habibiyyah on Faith and Philanthropy, Dr Lukman Adefolahan, said faith-based organisations must mobilise resources to complement government’s effort to reduce poverty in the society.
Adefolahan said that Al-Habibiyyah aimed to provide technical support for faith-based organisations for them to be more structured, accountable and build confidence of donors and continue impacting the society.
The event was attended by both Islamic and Christian organisations in the South-West.
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