Why clerics need vocational training by Sholagberu

A popular cleric in Ilorin, Kwara State, Dr. Abdulquadri Sholagberu has called for the inclusion of entrepreneurship in the learnings of Arabic and Islamic studies.

This he said would check common fraud and corruption being perpetrated by some clerics. Consequently, he said he has already opened talks with fellow scholars running Arabic schools across the state to include vocational trainings in their curricular.

Speaking at his Daarul-Kitar college of Arabic and Islamic studies graduation ceremony of 665 students last weekend, the proprietor was worried that some clerics were often caught with human parts for money ritual or other general spiritual efforts.

While condemning unwholesome acts, he blamed it on sole reliance on clergy work. He urged emulation of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) who was also a cattle herder while propagating Islam.

Charging the graduands at the school premises in Ilorin, Sholagberu said: “please be mindful of what and how you earn your livelihood so that it won’t stain your personality; be mindful of who you marry so as not to make wrong decision that would eventually thwart all this effort you have invested in your life.

“No real and genuine cleric goes about duping the public; no genuine cleric relies solely on clergy work to survive; nobody must catch any real cleric with human parts; no real cleric does yahoo or swindle the public for survival.

“Rather than soil your names or patents’ names, it is better you engage in vocational trainings for sustenance after all, Prophet Muhammad too was a cattle herder while propagating Islam,” he said.

According to him: “propagation of religion doesn’t prevent you from having legal work like carpentry, sewing, shoemaking and hairdressing among others.

“It’s not sufficient to be a cleric alone, this will encourage fraud and corruption,” he cautioned. Cautioning the graduands further, he said no cleric ought to be involved in “packaging,” Sholagberu charged clerics to always advise parents to enrol their wards for any apprenticeship before registering them for Arabic and Islamic studies.

“This will not let those wards to rely on politicians after graduation for survival.

“It would also check societal fraud occasioned by their sole reliance on clergy work,” he advised.

Meanwhile, the school graduated 595 males and 70 females in different programmes.