FMC reminds president on governments roles to Muslims in Ramadan

The Federation of Muslim Councils of Ghana (FMC) the umbrella organization for Muslims has written to remind the President and the Government of New Patriotic Party (NPP) over their obligation to Muslims during the current Ramadan fast and the two Muslim festivals in Ghana.

In a letter which begun with a salutation of peace unto the president and government the FMC reminded the government of a long standing practice to provide Muslims of food for the Ramadan and the festivities.

The letter was written with the approval and signed by the National Coordinator of FMC Alhaji Abdallah Showmie Williams

The letter headed kind support for Ramadan fast and two annual Muslim festivals and addressed to H.E. NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFO-ADDO PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF GHANAFLAGSTAFF HOUSE, KANDA - ACCRA went as follows;

The Federation of Muslim Councils (FMC) presents its compliments to H.E. the President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and has the honor to respectfully convey to His Excellency the President the following:

There has been a long-standing practice, by the Office of the President in past successive governments of Ghana, to provide kind support to Ghanaian Muslims for fasting in the holy month of Ramadan and for marking the two major Muslim festivals, Eidul-Fitr and Eidul-Ad-ha. The support normally takes the form of sugar and other beverages (such as Milo, Milk, Lipton etc.) for the fasting, while basic food items like rice and cooking oil are provided for each Eid festivity. These are channeled through key Muslim organizations across the country for onward distribution to the poor and deserving Muslims among them, and go a long way to impact lives.

It is now six days into this year’s Ramadan fast with no sign of the practice continuing. The FMC would want to attribute this to sheer inadvertence and nothing deliberate on the part of His Excellency, hence this correspondence.

For the avoidance of doubt, Your Excellency, the FMC is the constitutionally recognized mouthpiece of Muslims in Ghana (vide Article 166[1]) (a) [v]) of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic Ghana). The FMC represented Ghanaian Muslims on the Constituent Assembly that gave birth to the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, and has frequently been consulted by parliaments of the Fourth Republic on a wide range of issues.

By virtue of its position, as an umbrella body, the FMC represents the interest of Ghanaian Muslims by serving on a host of statutory, governmental and non-governmental institutions, among which are the National Media Commission (NMC), Boards of the four State-owned media, Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), the Ghana Education Service Council, National Council For Curriculum Assessment (NaCCA), Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC), Narcotics Control Board, National Population Council (NPC), to mention but a few. The FMC has also been an active member of the Coalition of Domestic Observers (CODEO).

It is our fervent hope that Your Excellency will hear our plea.

May Allah protect and richly bless Your Excellency.

The Federation of Muslim Councils avails itself of this opportunity to renew to H.E. the President of the Republic of Ghana, the assurances of its highest consideration.

Brotherly yours,

Hajj ABDULLAH SHOWUMI WILLIAMS

NATIONAL COORDINATOR