Sheikh Dr Ismail Saeed Adam, Ashanti Regional Chief Imam of the Ahlussunna Wal Jamaa sect, has appealed to the Muslim community to continually seek the welfare of the youth.

He entreated them to institute pragmatic measures as pertained to formal education, skills acquisition, leadership training and mentorship to help inculcate in the Muslim youth the values and principles needed to empower them for productive ventures.

Citing the Bokom Haram scenario, the Islamic Scholar was emphatic that the neglect of youth development issues was responsible for the breeding of the extremists in Nigeria, cautioning Ghana to take a cue from the development.

“If we neglect the youth and fail to factor them in our development agenda, we do so at our own risk,” he noted.

Sheikh Adam was launching the Islamic Investment Fund, a project of the Ahlussunna Wal Jamaa, at Sawaba in Kumasi.

The Fund seeks to invest the monies provided by its investors, who are primarily Muslims, into profitable and minimal –risk business ventures for profit, which would be used in developing the Muslim youth.

Areas targeted include sponsoring the youth to pursue nursing programmes, vocational and technical education, teacher-training, polytechnic and university education.

The Fund would also assist petty traders and small-scale enterprises with credit facilities to sustain their businesses.

Sheikh Adam asked the Muslim community to contribute towards the maturity of the Fund to achieve its objectives.

Alhaji Nuru Hamidan, Asokore –Mampong Municipal Chief Executive described the initiative as a giant step towards empowering the Muslim youth, advising them to avail themselves of the programmes initiated by the Fund.