Osman Nuhu Sharubutu

Sheikh Dr. Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu (born April 23, 1923) is an Islamic cleric, Chief Imam of Ghana,^[1] member of the National Peace Council^[2] and founder of The SONSETFund and IPASEC .^[3][4]

Family Background

Dr. Sharubutu was born in Old Fadama in April 23, 1923. His ancestors are of Hausa ethnicity from Northern Nigeria. Most members of present-day Hausa communities in Ghana trace their ancestry to Hausa traders in Cola nut and livestock who established thriving communities in Dagbon, Gonja, Nkoranza and Ashanti. His ancestors however, were not traders. The British in the 1900 Asante War of Resistance led by Yaa Asantewaa relied on local West African mercenaries to fight on their behalf. Hausa and Senegalese soldiers were recruited to hunt and confiscate the Golden Stool of the Ashanti kingdom. After the war, the Senegalese soldiers settled in Cape Coast whiles the Hausa soldiers settled around 37 Military Hospital. Osman Nuhu Sharubutu was born to members of the later community.

DESIGNATION: THE NATIONAL CHIEF IMAM and DR. SHIEKH OSMAN SHARUBUTU By Dr. Alhasan Mohammed

There is a discussion in the social media about the origin of the Designation: NATIONAL CHIEF IMAM. Some Muslims speculate that the designation was conferred on Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu by Ex-President Jerry Rawlings. Others mentioned Ex-President Muammar Gaddafi as the source of the designation when he visited Ghana. I believe our knowledge will be widened, if I make a humble contribution as one who participated in many of the events hereby discussed.

The origin of the designation went back to 1984, when the Chief Imam of Accra was Hajj Mukhtari Abass. The designation came about when the United Ghana Muslim Representative Council (U.G.M.R. C) was inaugurated on the 14 of April, 1984 in Accra. In the announcement the organization made to the press, they indicated that their spiritual head was the National Chief Imam Hajj Mukhtari Abass. Prof. Abdallah Botchway, a leading light of the new organization in a comment said, “the fact that the National Chief Imam who is the spiritual head of all Muslims in the country is the President of the U.G.M.R.C is an indication of fairness and propriety in Islam.” This statement was captured in the People’s Daily Graphic of Monday, 16 April 1984.

The formation of the U.G.M.R.C and the assertion that Imam Mukhtari Abass was the National Chief Imam was challenged by the Ghana Muslim Representative Council (G.M.R.C), who took U.G.M.R.C and Imam Mukhtari Abass to court. Their ground was that Imam Mukhtari Abass was not an indigene and therefore should not be designated National Chief Imam and secondly, the use of G.M.R.C as part of the name of U.G.M.R.C was illegal. Hajj Dauda Otoo then the President of the G.M.R.C issued a statement in the People’s Daily Graphic of April 17, 1984 exhorting all Ghanaian Muslims to refrain from praying behind Imam Mukhtari Abass. When the suit was called, the court was jammed with thousands of supporters of Imam Mukhtari Abass. The Judge enquired what the matter was and he was informed that Imam Muktar Abass was present. The Judge then told the venerable Imam not to bother to be present in Court, but be represented by his counsels.

The matter dragged on in Court for some time, until the G.M.R.C saw were the direction of the wind was blowing, and decided not to pursue the Court case further. The G.MR.C after abandoning the case decided as their fallback position, to hold their Eid prayers at the Ghana Muslim Mission grounds at Korle Gonno and later the Kaneshie stadium. That was how matters stand until Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu was appointed in 1988, to that position by the Council of Muslim Chiefs under the leadership of Chief Amida Braimah. Imam Mukhtar Abass retired due to prolonged illness.

The critical contribution of Sheikh Sharubutu to the institution of the National Chief Imamship was to revolutionize and make it acceptable to Ghanaians. He brought to it charisma, leadership, respect and drive, that have never be known in Imamship in Ghana. He made it the centre piece of recognition of Islam and Ghana Muslims not only in Ghana but all over the world. To consolidate the institution, Sheikh Sharubutu, on his own and with his own resources organize the first conference of Regional Chief Imams, which meet annually on rotational basis to discuss matters of mutual interest. This action brought solidarity and understanding among the Regional Chief Imams and greater respect for the Sheikh.

Secondly, he promoted the establishment of Council of Ulemas, which meets to deliberate on matters of religious interest and reduce unnecessary in fighting.

Thirdly, when the government promulgated the law providing national holidays for Muslim festivals, there was much uncertainties as to its implementation in practice, given the known disputes of the Muslim ummah over the day to observe Eid il-Fitr. It took the wisdom, pragmatism and courage of Sheikh Sharubutu, who in in spite of stiff opposition and possible disownment by many of his Muslim supporters, invited and worked with Maulvi Wahab Adams of the Ahmadiyya Movement to establish the Hilal Committee.

This Committee oversees arrangements for sighting the moon and determining on a national basis the day to start the Ramadan fast and the day to end it. This arrangement reduces to a large measure the bickerings and disputes that had been the case in the past on deciding on the day to celebrate the Eid al-Fitr. The intervention of the Hilal Committee explains the unanimity in the celebration of Eid il-Fitr nationwide by all Muslims in recent years.

The Hilal Committee arrangement forges a healthy environment of peace and harmony between Ahmadiyyas and non-Ahmadiyya Muslims. This brotherly harmony is uniquely absent in other West African countries.

The Hilal Committee was the answer to the Government and Parliament when there was uncertainty whether to extend the holiday to cover Eid il-Fitr. Many young Muslims think the holidays for Muslim festivals were obtained on a silver platter. There were behind the scene lobbing by Imam Sharubutu and others. In 1969, the writer in his opening statement in the Constituent Assembly argued strongly for the approval of holidays for Muslim festivals. (Read Proceedings of the Constituent Assembly, Official Report, Thursday, 30th January, 1969) To continue and fourthly, Sheikh Nuhu Sharubutu even though is a leader of the Tijjaniyya sect, by his humility assembled diplomatic skills, he is able to keep together in peace all Muslim sects namely, Ahli Sunna, the Sunni, the Shia and the Tijjaniyyas. This skill is demonstrated also in his handling of Christians, Muslim issues. It is a beauty (I have been informed), to see him in a discussion with the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Accra, as if they were brothers.

There is one aspect of his life that is not known, he is not a receiver but a giver. His house is always full of lodgers from all parts of West Africa, whom he looks after with his own resources. His home coal pots are always beaming with fire woods.

The edifice i.e. The National Chief Imam Institution, as we know it today, is built by the sweat and sagacity of the person Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu. There are many other positive actions of the Sheikh which the writer is not aware of and we leave the rest to history to chronicle.

POST SCRIPT: The Ghana Muslim Representative Council (G.M.R.C) was the first national Muslim organization to be established in Ghana in 1973. It was made of three component organizations i.e. the Ghana Muslim Community, the Ghana Muslim Mission and the Supreme Council. It had a chequed history. In 1980, the Ghana Muslim Community withdrew from the G.M.R.C.

In 1984, the United Ghana Muslim Representative Council (U.G.M.R.C) was founded under the leadership of Prof. Abdallah Botchway and many other key Muslim dignitaries, as a rival body to the G.M.R.C. In 1988, the two bitter rivals agreed to merge to establish the Federation of Ghana Muslim Councils under leadership of Alhajis Showomi Williams and Malik Abdul Mumuni.

As the saying goes there are no permanent enemies but permanent interest.

See also

• Islam in Ghana
• Moulvi Abdul Wahab Adam
• Afa Seidu

External links

• ISLAMIC PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL (IPASEC)
• The Dr. Sheikh Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu Education Trust Fund (SONSETFUND)

References