ISLAMIC ORGANISATIONS AND THE NEED FOR FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

AND SECURITY CONSCIOUSNES

Presented by
Yusuf Yakubu Arrigasiyyu PhD
Executive Director
Muslim League for Accountability (MULAC)
BACKGROUND
Nigeria hosts various Islamic organizations, ranging from sectarian groups youth
and women organizations and other Islamic humanitarian based initiatives. These
organizations and affiliations are founded to achieve various objectives among
which is Da’awa (Islamic outreach) and humanitarian activities with the aim to
gaining reward from Allah, the creator of all.
Some important issues however are how these organizations source funds to run
their activities and how they aim to establish confidence in individuals and groups
who support them either financially or otherwise, that donated resources are
being properly managed, as most voluntary organizations including Islamic
organizations seek donations to implement their agenda. Sources however vary
from one organization to the other. Members and philanthropists support such
Islamic organizations in organizing and conducting their programs and activities.
It is therefore important to have a mechanism in place that allows for clear
financial explanation and ensures accountability.
There is need to clearly explain to members how and where funds were sourced,
exact amount generated and how it was spent.
One of the greatest challenge facing organizations particularly Islamic
organizations, is their inability to provide accurate financial record of how all
funds received as donations are spent, to ensure that funds are expelled for what
they are intended. The inability of many Islamic organizations to provide accurate
record of finances is a major source of concern which has created a lot of
suspicion and distrust among leaders and their followers which in some cases,
lead to the creation of faction, disintegration of such organizations and also
discourages individuals and groups from donating. It is no wonder some
individuals prefer donating in kind and not in cash, to ensure their donated

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resources is well utilized. Islam enjoys us to be open in our financial dealings so
as to prevent evil inspiration and conspiration among members and leaders alike.
Money collected and donations received from individuals and groups should be
accurately accounted for, with expenses well documented. There should be
records of request, approvals of the leadership, records of expenditure and
purpose it was expended. All items belonging to the organization has to be
registered and made known to all stakeholders. This will prevent suspicion and
pave way for organizational development. It will ensure that finances meant for
the organizational developments are well accounted for, ensure transparency,
prevent fraud, misuse and theft.

Accountability
Accountability as defined by experts, is the ability to be transparent in ones
dealings, accept responsibility for ones action and allow others to observe and
evaluate ones performance.
While the modern definition of accountability as provided by western scholars
views accountability as answerability in this world, Islam, went further to remind
Muslims on accountability to all their stakeholders and to prepare to account
before Allah on the day of resurrection.

Process
Islam emphasizes the fear of Allah and answerability on the day of Judgment in all
our dealings, particularly, financial dealings. Islamic organizations must begin to
imbibe the principle of financial accountability in their organization to ensure
transparency in whatever they do, make financial records available for all
stakeholders and ensure judicious use of resources in this world to ensure their is
value for money. In the process, they should also prepare to account for whatever
comes through them not only in this world but also before Allah on the day of
resurrection to avoid the bigger reckoning by the creator of all.

Budget for financial accountability

To ensure financial accountability, Islamic organizations must learn to work base
on their planned activities and budgetary provisions. Budget is the financial plan
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of action for the year. It is the statement of expected income and expenditure of
an organization within a specific period of time.

Importance of budget in financial Accountability

Budget provision in Islamic organizations will help us focus better on achieving
our overall objectives. It will help us understand and decide how to generate
funds, when to spend it and what to expel it on. Budget will also help us prioritize
our spending and make it easy for an Islamic organization to track its expenditure.
To achieve financial accountability therefore, the need for open budget is highly
necessary. Open budget is the process that allows all stakeholders to have access
and contribute to the budget making. It gives all the stakeholders sense of
belonging and the feeling of inclusiveness in decision making. The principles of
open budget includes transparency, participation and accountability which help
organizations achieve financial accountability

SECURITY CONSCIOUSNESS
Security Consciousness is about being aware of what is going on around you,
knowing what to do and how to react to instances of security threat. Such
understanding is key to achieving personal security and safeguarding self from
danger and dangerous situations.
The north is under attack by terrorists and other criminal elements, from Boko
Haram to Bandits and other criminals around us.
Many innocent lives have been destroyed, hundreds of women raped, thousands
of children displaced and orphaned and millions of naira paid in ransom money to
dreaded kidnappers. This results from the inability of the security agents, despite
their numerous efforts, to cope with and contain the menace. It has so far proven
difficult and challenging to them. The Northwest has today been met with years
of insecurity, terrorism, clashes between rival communities, inter and intra
religious and ethnic conflict, chieftaincy disputes and political thuggery, as a result
of economic and developmental challenges and religious extremism.
People are beginning to lose hope in the Government due to its inability to
effectively and efficiently protect their lives and property in the spate of
increasing cases of kidnap for ransom, cattle rustling, rural banditry, pastoralists
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and farmers clashes and inter and intra religious conflicts. The inability of
Government to protect the lives and property of its citizens and lack of any
genuine and positive interventions from people and organizations in engaging and
supporting community and religious leaders with the view to enhancing their
capacity to mitigate and resolve conflict through non-violence means, continue to
trigger insecurity in the country. The consequence of this continue to pave ways
for religious extremist and criminal elements like Boko Haram and other criminals
to gain sway into this restive zone and continue to recruit innocent youths into
their rank to unleash terror on innocents lives. It is therefore very important that
Nigeria and particularly the Muslims understand the terrible situation we are
presently in and provide ways to curtail and contain it.
One of these ways is through the sensitization of the public, particularly Muslim
communities on security consciousness. Religious leaders and Islamic
organizations are well respected entities in the Nigeria society. They should
therefore champion the engagement of their people on security consciousness.

Why need to be security conscious?

The public needs to be protected, their lives secured and property safe. There is
need to educate everyone on ways to improve their personal security at home,
schools, work places and all walks of life. Islamic organizations should train and
inform their members on security tips such as avoiding being easily predictable by
strangers and desist from posting their whereabouts on social media. Criminal
elements can easily track people through their social media engagements and
utilize any slightest opportunity to harm them.
People must also learn to protect secrets, be it theirs, their families’ or friends.
Night travelling is very discouraged and danger-filled. We should be conscious and
avoid night journey. We must also learn to inform relatives about every of our
movement. These will assist us greatly in giving us some level of protection
against danger and dangerous situations.

Conclusion

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People must understand that their lives are sacrosanct and must be protected
from the reach of these criminal elements. We must join hands together to
ensure a free and secured Nigeria.