Hajia Azara Abukari-Haroun, the Chief Executive Officer of Zakat and Sadaqa Trust Fund of Ghana, has urged Muslim women to work hard and strive to attain the attributes of great Islamic leaders when given the opportunity to serve in leadership positions.
She said, “as Muslim women in leadership positions, our goal must be to work hard and serve the Muslim community with good leadership skills, humility, piety, truthfulness, simplicity in lifestyles, in accordance with the laid down rules by Allah.”
Hajia Abukari-Haroun said this at the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected executive for the Ghana Muslim Ladies Association (GMLA) on the theme:
“The Muslim woman and effective leadership”, in Accra.
She said an Islamic leader is a person who must lead people along the straight path laid by Allah (SWT) and must possess all the qualities to manage the people or followers impeccably.
“As leaders of this noble Muslim women organisation, you have a daunting task on you, especially because you are women, and as such you must render your services diligently in order for the Association to achieve its goals and objectives.”
She noted that with every association there were challenges, however, as newly elected leaders it was important not to focus on the challenges but rather on the opportunities ahead in order to be able to protect and project the cause of the Muslim woman and Islam in general.
Hajia Abukari-Haroun congratulated the newly elected executives and urged them to be united and have one formidable force in order to be able to continue the good work of their predecessors.
Hajia Alisatu Wamdaogo, the Newly Elected President, in her acceptance speech, said the GMLA since its inception had helped in propagating Islam and Muslim women, Hajia Abukari-Haroun through such platforms had been empowered to seek higher education both in academia and religion and were contributing to the socio-economic development of our country.
She said as newly elected leaders their vision for their three-year term would be to project the Association and collaborate with other Muslim women organizations to advance the work of Islam, raise funds to support the Association’s activities, prepare annual action plans, encourage payment of dues and strengthen the youth wing.
Hajia Wamdaogo noted that the Islamic principles of leadership were based on values like honesty, transparency, accountability, sincerity, and humility among others and they would ensure to be guided by these values in the cause of our duties to the Association.
“We are ready to move GMLA to the next level, especially using the virtual platforms for most of our activities since that is the current trend to propagate the vision, mission, aims and objectives of the Association and we will need the support and prayers of our Patrons, members and stakeholders to achieve the mandate we have been entrusted with.”
Other members of the executive include Hajia Hafsa Mohammed Salisu, First Vice President, Hajia Adiza Baba Issah, Second Vice President, Hajia Muniratu Lamptey, Welfare Officer, Hajia Ramatu Ben Salifu, Deputy Welfare Officer, Nahaja Rahma Adam, Legal Research Officer, Hajia Hamida Shiraz, Hajia Ahlam Yunus Ibrahim, Hajia Ummu Khair Umar Larry and Salima Salifu, Da’awah Officers.
The rest are Sekinatu Wottuomo Dapko, Secretary, Fathiya Abdullahi and Rashida Zanga Elias, Assistant Secretaries, Takiya Yussif, Treasurer, Sabeena Abdul Raheem PRO, Abirat Zakariah, Assistant PRO, Hajia Ayishatu Issah Akwetey and Hajia Rahma Umar-Sanda Organising Secretaries.
