A fresh war has broken up between the Secretary General of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council Sheikh Ramathan Mugalu and Sheikh Abdulaziz Hussein the Assistant to the Mufti in Northern Region.
Mugalu accuses the latter of defaming him on different media platforms in the region.
“Sheikh Hussein has been circulating malicious messages on several media platforms with the aim of damaging my reputation,” Mugalu told Journalists last week,
“He is also tarnishing the personal image of His Eminence the Mufti and UMSC as an institution,” he added.
Mufti Mubajje last week fired Abdulazziz whom he accused of grabbing properties belonging to UMSC.
Mugalu while speaking to reporters, gave a brief background on how Sheikh Hussein was appointed as the Mufti’s Assistant on an acting basis since he lacked the requisite academic qualifications, a Degree in Sharia.
Sheikh Hussein only had a Diploma in Islamic Studies.
“Our hands were tied up because he was the only nominee from Northern Region and the fact that the region lacks qualified Sheikhs,” he said
“He was taken in on condition that he was to pursue a degree in Sharia and the Mufti gave him a bursary to study at the UMSC-based Islamic Call University College- ICUC, which he readily accepted,” he added
“We later discovered that he was a committed businessman commuting between Kampala and Juba in Southern Sudan and had no time for official UMSC work yet he had an Office and received a salary and an official vehicle,”
He further explained that Sheikh Hussein “later teamed up with a clique of Muslims to illegally take control of UMSC properties in the region,”
“He personally took control of Juba market, which seats on UMSC land in Lira City,” Mugalu said
“And he is now shamelessly spreading malicious information in Kampala that the Mufti and Secretary General have sold cemeteries in Gulu and Lira,”
Haj Mugalu also used the same briefing to refute claims by Sheikh Hussein that he and the Mufti are holding offices illegally.
“Then he was also in the office illegally because we were the ones who appointed him,” Mugalu charged.
Haj Mugalu noted that there are widespread moves by some individuals including local government officials scheming to grab UMSC land in different areas of the country, which has compelled UMSC to fight off the grabbers.
He noted that land grabbers have instead turned to the media to tarnish the image of UMSC, which has prompted them to sue Sheikh Hussein for defamation to serve as an example to other would-be offenders.
