Sack 'partisan' Sheikh Aremeyaw Shaibu from the office of Chief Imam – Muslim youth petitions

The group's reactions come at the back of the just-ended general elections when the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) asked Ghanaians to give confidence to the presidential election results declared by the Electoral Commission (EC) as it reflects accurately how citizens voted on December 7, 2020.

Sheikh Aremeyaw Shaibu who doubles as the acting chairman of CODEO briefing the media said any political party or candidate with issues about the presidential results to peacefully resolve these through proper legal and procedural channels.

The group said it monitored the election by deploying 1,502 Parallel Voter Tabulation (PVT) Observers across the 275 constituencies in the country’s 16 regions.

"CODEO appeals to Ghanaians to remain calm, law-abiding, and allow the systems to work. CODEO further commends the maturity shown by Ghanaians throughout the voting, counting, and collating processes," Sheikh Aremeyaw Shaibu added.

But the Muslim youth group in a statement said Sheikh Aremeyaw Shaibu was found to have blatantly towed a political line, bastardising the political immunity of the Chief Imam to the anger of the Muslim ummah in Ghana.

The group also accused him of going against the position of some Civil Society Organisations such as the National House of Chiefs, to openly endorsed the New Patriotic Party's position on the registration exercise saying "the new register will help Ghana" which according to the group, got the NPP to suggest that the National Chief Imam was a pro-NPP activist to the dissatisfaction of the Muslim Ummah across the world.

It said: "Subsequently, Sheikh Armiyawu was found to have extended unwarranted privileges to the NPP at the 2019 Maulid, drawing extreme criticism against the organisers of the programme."

Read the full statement below:

COALITION OF PROGRESSIVE MUSLIM YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS-GHANA

PETITION FOR THE REMOVAL OF SHEIKH ARMIYAWU SHAIBU FROM THE OFFICE OF THE NATIONAL CHIEF IMAM

We of the above Muslim groups wish to petition His Eminence, the National Chief Imam of Ghana, Dr Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu to, as a matter of urgency dismiss Sheikh Armiyawu Shaibu from the Office as the Spokesperson, and all other titles he wears in the name of the National Chief Imam, be stripped of him.

This request was precipitated by the overwhelming concerns expressed by the public and a cross-section of all Muslim sects in Ghana about the conduct of the Spokesperson, which remains uncomplimentary of the stature of the Office of the Chief Imam.

Instructively, the National Chief Imam has, over the years risen above partisan politics and we deem it important for all Muslim Ummah especially, the Spokesperson of the National Chief Imam to maintain the good image of our Leader and the sanctity of his Office. However, in a recent publication on behalf of CODEO, a Civil Society Organization Sheikh Armiyawu Shaibu was found to have blatantly towed a political line, bastardizing the political immunity of the Chief Imam to the anger of the Muslim ummah in Ghana.

Preceding and subsequent to this event, his other engagements were found to have run contrary to that which is required to maintain the impartiality of the high office of the National Chief Imam. Examples are as follows:

1. Against the position of some Civil Society Organisations such as the National House of Chiefs, Sheikh Armiyawu openly endorsed the NPP position on the Registration exercise saying "the new register will help Ghana" which got the NPP to hypocritically suggest that the National Chief Imam was a pro-NPP Activist to the dissatisfaction of the Muslim Ummah across the world.

2. Subsequently, Sheikh Armiyawu was found to have extended unwarranted privileges to the NPP at the 2019 Maulid, drawing extreme criticism against the Organizers of the program.

3. He was recently cited for creating an atmosphere of hostility when he facilitated the infamous "Thanksgiving Prayer" for the NPP at the Office of the National Chief Imam, eliciting unsavoury commentary and derogatory remarks from the Social Media with the tendency to cause abject disaffection against the persona of the National Chief Imam.

On the basis of these aberrations on the part of the Spokesperson of the National Chief Imam, we wish to demand his immediate dismissal from the Office before he drags the image of our revered Leader and the sanctity of his office into disrepute.

Thank you.

Signed

1. SHAMSU M. SHAIBU

(Secretary)

2. MOHAMMED YAKUBU

(Organizer-Korlebu)

3. SEINI FUSEINI ABDUL-LATIF

( Member-Northern Region)

4. ASAANA MAJEED BUKARI

(Member-Uper East Region)

5. IBRAHIM MARWAN

(Member-Eastern Region)