TheCable

Muhammad Sanusi II, the emir of Kano, says statements made by Abdulaziz Yari, governor of Zamfara state, on meningitis are “Islamically incorrect”.

Yari had said “stereotype C” meningitis is God’s way of pouring his anger on Nigerians for their “nefarious activities”.

But speaking in Kaduna on Wednesday, Sanusi said as a man who is well read in Islamic law, he knows that Yari’s statements are incorrect.

“For us to address social policy,we have to reclaim our religion, we have to know what our religion actually says, as opposed to what culture says, and we have to have the courage to go through the path that all societies went through, which is to stand and challenge intellectually, world views,” Sanusi said.

“Some of the examples are horrendous. I’m sorry about a current issue yesterday… 200 people died of meningitis in a state, the governor was asked and he said it is God’s curse on us for the sin of fornication, which apparently does not happen in America, which is why they don’t have meningitis.”

The monarch went on to say that 90 percent of the problems around the north are self-inflicted and can be solved.

“How have we reduced ourselves, what have we done as a people, that we have placed ourselves in a situation where simple things, a medical issue… you don’t have vaccines, say you don’t have vaccines.

“Treat those who have contracted it, don’t give these kinds of explanations. But this the mindset. I have a degree in Islamic law, and I can tell you that is not an Islamically correct statement to make.

“These are the kinds of things that we have; and when we talk about a difficult environment, we realise that 90 percent of that difficulty, we can address, because it is self-inflicted.”