SUPREME COUNCIL PREPARES MUSLIMS FOR RAMADAN

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH THE MOST BENEFICIENT THE MOST MERCIFUL  NIGERIAN SUPREME COUNCIL FOR ISLAMIC AFFAIRS (NSCIA)  NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS, ABUJA NATIONAL MOSQUE COMPLEX ABUJA, FCT ¾ 08036231533 / 08079365658      28th Sha'aban, 1433    18th July, 2012  PRESS RELEASE     COMMENCEMENT OF THE RAMADAN FAST OF 1433 AH     Prophet Muhammad (SAW) instructed the Muslims, saying: "Do not fast unless you see the Crescent (of the month of Ramadan) and do not give up fasting till you see the Crescent (of the month of Shawwal). But if the sky is overcast, count thirty (30) days of Sha'aban or of Ramadan as the case may be" (Narrated by Abdullahi Bin Umar)     Therefore in accordance with this Prophetic Tradition, Thursday July 19, being the 29th day of Sha'aban 1433AH, Members of the National and State Moon-Sighting Committees as well as other Nigerian Muslims should look for the new Crescent of Ramadan month. If the moon is sighted on that day, the under-listed Leaders should be communicated immediately:     His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto 08036470422  HRH the Shehu of Borno Borno 08037855555, 08023549558  Dr. Abdullateef Adegbite Abeokuta 08034020350  HRH the Emir of Gwandu Kebbi 08036154369  HRH the Emir of Kano Kano 064-631114, 633769  HRH the Emir of Bauchi Bauchi 077-542801, 543036  HRH the Lamido of Adamawa Adamawa 075-634449, 634822  HRH the Olukare of Ikare Ondo 08058014860  HRM Timi of Ede Osun 08037740390   HRH the Emir of Katsina Katsina   HRH the Emir of Zazzau Kaduna 069-332002  HRH the Etsu Nupe Niger 08039668707  HRH the Emir of Ilorin Kwara 031-2213218  HRH the Oba of Lagos Lagos 01-7767802  HRH the Oba of Agbede Edo 052-250153  HRH the Emir of Wase Plateau 08037042555  Chief Imam of Ibadan Ibadan 08062609601  Chief Imam of Osogbo Osun 08035740333  Chief Imam of Egba Abeokuta 08035028763  HRH the Emir of Kazaure Jigawa 08098121000, 08026806971  HRH the Emir of Suleija Suleija 08037006034  HRH the Emir of Anka Zamfara 063-36458  HRH the Emir of Damaturu Yobe 08088870415   HRH the Emir of Gombe Gombe   HRH the Emir of Lafia Nasarawa 08036140098  HRH the Emir of Nasarawa Nasarawa 08065115151  Sheikh Haroun Ajah Ebonyi 08033397491, 08053152722  Sheikh Adam Abdullahi Idoko Enugu 08036759892  Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi Bauchi 08033058201  Chief Imam of Owo Ondo 08063104919  Chief Imam of Ipokia Ogun 08033827971   Alhaji Dauda W. Onyegocha Owerri 08063828218  Alhaji Mukail Asoquo C/River 08037122258  NSCIA Secretariat Abuja 08036231533 / 0803540120   Dr. Khalid Abubakar (Sec-Gen., JNI) Kaduna 08034531742        Chairmen of States Moon-sighting Committees:  v Alhaji Musa Otto Rivers 08037710930  v Alh M.B.Ahmad (Imam) Bauchi 08036080799  v Sheikh Sheriff Sale Al-Hussein Borno 08022195159, 08033140822  v Alhaji Mikail Etim Asuquo Cross River 08037122258  v Alhaji Garba Baba Benue 08037862666, 07082234021  v Sheikh Ahmad Onilewura Osun 08052101331, 07062653336  v Alhaji Engr. Ibrahim Adike Anambra 08037840873, 048482086  v Alhaji Badamasi Dodo Kaura Zamfara 07066665225, 08024333774  v Alhaji Yusuf Chinedozi Nwoha Imo 08036306922  v Sheikh Haroun O. Ajah Ebonyi 08033397491, 08053152722  v Sheikh Adam Idoko Enugu 08036759892, 07083523590  v Sheikh Abdul-Aziz Yusuf Plateau 08035835562  v Dr. Kamaldeen K. Oloso Oyo 08037168442, 08059229059  v Alhaji ibrahim Chima Abia 08032037478  v Mallam AbdulFattah Enabulele Edo 08058767058, 08034519626  v Ustaz Abusufyan Uche Bayelsa 08032516763  v HRH Emir of Damaturu Yobe 08088870415  v Kadi Ibrahim Babbawa Adamawa 08057160043  v Mallam Abdullahi Shuaib Lagos 08023037478  v Alhaji Tijanni Ughellivero Delta 080335474052  v Ustaz Musa Muhammad FCT 08033335254  v Prof. Aliyu M. Bunza Kebbi 08034316508  v Dr. Salihu S. Abubakar Kaduna 08037037898  v Hon. Kadi Salihu O. Muhammad Kwara 08035036591  v Musa Ibn Ibrahim Gombe 08054449928  v Mohammad Usman Taraba 08033159190  v Mohammed Gidado Jigawa 08036646410  v Yakubu Musa. H Katsina 08033217246, 08025502421  v Sheikh Mayaleeke A.R.F Ogun 08035050804  v Sheikh Dr. Ahmed Lemu Niger 08036005570       Where the authorities are satisfied that the new Moon has been sighted in accordance with the prescribed procedure, His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, should be informed at once, for a formal announcement of the commencement of the Fast.     Wishing you all, a blessed Ramadan. 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 Twitter:  ishaqakintola Facebook: facebook.com/ishaqakintola Twitter: ishaqakintola   I remain oppressed untill the hungry are fed, the naked clothed, the sick healed and the homeless sheltered

PRESS RELEASE ON YOUTH CORPERS

4th July, 2012 PRESS RELEASE: DON'T USE CORPERS AS GUINEA PIGS Many fresh graduates of Southern origin who reported for the current National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) recently were reportedly posted to troubled spots in the North. The fresh youth corpers staged a protest at the national headquaters of the NYSC, Abuja, on Monday. The protesters expressed fears over their postings to violence-prone zones of Northern Nigeria where a militant group, Jamaat Ahlus-Sunnah or Boko Haram has been waging guerrilar warfare against government and military installations as well as other civilian targets. We of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) express profound shock at the action of the NYSC authorities. It is naïve, insensitive and provocative. Sending youth corpers from the South to this troubled area is pregnant with several impressions. It portrays those at the helm of affairs in the NYSC national secretariat as insensitive to the fears being expressed by parents and concerned citizens. It also gives the impression that corpers are regarded by the authorities as mere sacrificial lambs whose lives mean nothing at all to the NYSC top echelon.  In view of reported killings of corpers posted to those zones where Boko Haram insurgency is very active, the authorities ought to have considered the implications of sending young and innocent corpers to the zone. It is also heartless sending corpers to terra incognito particularly in these troubled times.  MURIC holds NYSC authorities responsible for this blunder. The Boko Haram insurgency has so far been the longest violent phenomenon the North has ever witnessed and NYSC authorities should have prepared safeguards and measures aimed at reassuring the young graduates and their parents.  The best assurance and greatest safeguard anybody can give in such a circumstance is to restrict the services of corpers of Southern origin to the South. Afterall, what is important is that graduates should experience other Nigerian cultures different from their own. So what is wrong with sending graduates from the Southeast to the Southwest and vice versa at least while the Boko Haram imbroglio still rages. NYSC can resume the normal postings on the return of normalcy. Even corpers of Northern origin serving in the North must be properly protected by the security agencies. But we know that the security agencies are only instructed to focus attention on government officials while innocent corpers are exposed to perils of unimaginable proportions. MURIC strongly denounces this attempt to turn our young talents into guinea pigs overnight. We therefore demand the immediate reposting of all corpers of Southern origin recently posted to the North. They should all be reposted to the South. We fear that failure to yield to this demand may result in loss of confidence in the NYSC scheme with its attendant consequences for which we cannot be held responsible. We charge the Federal Government to rein in the NYSC authorities. Any responsible government must be interested in the safety of its young and educated citizens. Jonathan's regime must not abdicate its responsibility. 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 Twitter:  ishaqakintola Facebook: facebook.com/ishaqakintola Twitter: ishaqakintola   I remain oppressed untill the hungry are fed, the naked clothed, the sick healed and the homeless sheltered