EASTER MESSAGE

5th April 2012 EASTER MESSAGE: NIGERIAN LEADERS NEED THE LESSONS OF EASTER As the world marks Easter, we of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) felicitate with the body of Christ throughout the world. In particular, we identify ourselves with Nigerian Christendom as they enter the sober mood of the season.  The austere and completely selfless life of Jesus must not only be read as a book by the young and old, but digested as an indispensable nutritional supplement by Nigerian leaders. It takes more than an ordinary man to lay down his life for others in the same way that it takes more than ordinary leaders to lead without being oppressive, selfish or gluttonous.  Nigeria needs public office holders who are prepared to make personal sacrifices. This is the way for our leaders to prove that they are emulating Jesus. Our leaders must be ready to instill discipline in themselves and members of their family before asking the citizens to be morally upright. That is how to remove the log from their own eyes before they can complain of the speck in the eyes of the common man. To this end, MURIC demands that all public office holders from the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the councilors in the local governments withdraw their children and wards studying in foreign lands back to Nigerian universities. We charge the National Assembly to initiate and pass a bill prohibiting people whose children and wards attend overseas institutions from holding public office. This is the only way to compel government to pay attention to our decaying education sector. Who feels it knows it.  In the same vein, MURIC calls for another bill banning public office holders from going abroad for medical treatment. Nigerian hospitals are ghosts of themselves today because they are not used by those in power. Our leaders are more likely to pay attention to the health sector if they are compelled by law to use the same hospitals used by the jamaheer (poor masses).  Finally, we urge Nigerian citizens to learn the crucial lessons of the Easter period, namely, self-sacrifice, altruism, moderation, love and forgiveness. Nigerians should love their neighbours according to themselves. We must bury Christian-Muslim acrimony. We appeal to all to shun religious bigotry and the attendant violence so that peace, which is an essential ingredient of progress, can reign in the land.   Professor Is-haq Akintola,  Lagos State University, P.O. Box 10211, LASU Post Office, HO 102 101, Ojo, Lagos, Nigeria. Tel. 234-803-346-4974        234-818-211-9714 Website: www.ishaqakintola.com Blog: drishaqakintola.blogspot.com Facebook: facebook.com/ishaqakintola Twitter: ishaqakintola   I remain oppressed untill the hungry are fed, the naked clothed, the sick healed and the homeless sheltered