NASS/EZEKWESILI DEBATE

29^th August, 2013

PRESS RELEASE:

FIX DATE FOR NASS/EZEKWESILI DEBATE NOW

Speaking at an event hosted by the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre on Monday 19^th August, 2013, former Minister of Solid Minerals and later Minister of Education, Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili, alleged that the National Assembly (NASS) gulped N1 trillion between 2005 and now. She followed up this allegation on Wednesday 21^st August, 2013 by challenging the federal lawmakers to a public debate on the issue.      

 

We of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) believe that this matter should not be trivialized through mudslinging and the use of abusive language. Coming from a woman who has been twice a federal minister and a former executive of the prestigious World Bank, the issue should not be treated with a wave of the hand. Any matter that bothers on probity and accountability should be taken seriously in a decent society. Transparency is one of the major hallmarks of democracy.

 

In view of the furore generated by the allegation as well as the attendant public interest, Nigerian federal lawmakers owe Nigerian taxpayers the inalienable obligation to organize, within the shortest possible time, an open debate on the subject-matter as requested by the former minister. Any undue delay will be interpreted as an attempt to sweep the matter under the carpet.

 

MURIC reminds members of the NASS that the general public is waiting for the debate. Our organization has also partnered with other members of the civil society to work out modalities for compelling the actualization of the debate. In particular, we are interested in knowing the rationale behind the idea of the federal lawmakers fixing their own salaries according to their own whims and caprices moreso since there is an agency charged with the responsibility of fixing all salaries. NASS must be able to convince the toiling Nigerian jamaaheer (masses) that they are not being taken for a ride.

 

Finally, we call on the leaders of the NASS to announce a date for the much awaited debate in the next few days failing which the Nigerian people will accept Ezekwesili's claim as the truth, the only truth, and nothing but the truth.

 

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC),
0818-211-9714

 

 

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC),

234-803-346-4974

234-818-211-9714

E-mail: muslimrightsconcern@yahoo.co.uk

            muslimrights@gmail.com

Website: www.muric.net

Yahoo Group: groups.yahoo.com/group/muslimrights

Blog:       muslimrightsmuric.blogspot.com

Twitter:   twitter.com/muslimrights

               

MURIC's bank account :

Banker's Name: Guaranty Trust Bank

Account Name:        Muslim Rights Concern
Account Number:    0112827277

Be just Justice is the soul of peace

No one can deny one and have the other

Neither can violence or naked force bring lasting peace

BOKO HARAM: FG IS DOUBLE-SPEAKING

19^th August, 2013

PRESS RELEASE

BOKO HARAM: FG IS DOUBLE-SPEAKING

 

The Federal Government (FG) said over the weekend that it would hand over Boko Haram suspects to the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague, Netherlands, for prosecution.

 

While we repeat our condemnation of all forms of violence and terrorism, we of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) takes FG's statement with a pinch of salt. FG in the same statement contradicted itself by adding that the amnesty committee set up by it was on course. FG appears to be enjoying a prolonged game of paradox. The citizens are being deceived. From all indications, FG's amnesty committee appears to have been sent ab initio on a wild goose chase.

 

We warn Nigerians and the international community that a government whose stock-in-trade is to blow hot and cold is not to be trusted. This is the same government which gave recognition to a governor who scored 16 and ignored the one who scored 19 at the election of governors' forum. These undemocratic actions of the FG cast grave doubts on its ability to conduct free and fair election in 2015.  

 

This same government is alleged to be behind the attempted impeachment of the speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly by only 5 members working against 22 other members who are on the speaker's side. A minister recently threatened to make life difficult for a state governor and FG kept mute. We are shocked by these flagrant displays of power-drunkenness.  

 

By these acts of omission or commission, FG is sowing the seeds of distrust. This explains why Nigerians no longer believe in this government. All the five evils mentioned by Chamberlain, namely, "brute force, bad faith, injustice, oppression and persecution", have manifested in this administration.

 

It is this same government who has reneged on an agreement it entered freely into with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). The nation's universities have been shut down for two months now and FG is not bothered. The Minister of Finance claims that FG does not have enough money to improve the education sector but Nigerians know better.

 

FG is simply saving tax-payers' money for the 2015 campaign. The retention of power is more paramount to this regime than the future of Nigerian youths. We are not convinced that FG is interested in the development of education in this country. How many of those in the corridors of power have children or wards in Nigerian universities?

 

We remind FG that the Glorious Qur'an condemns those who say one thing and do another, "OH you who believe! Why do you say things that you would not do? It is a grave sin before Allah to say what you would not do" (Qur'an 61: 2-3). Allah also commands the fulfillment of promises, "And fulfill your pledges to Allah when you pledge" (Qur'an 16:91). He promises to hold those who fail to fulfill their promises accountable, "Fulfill your promises, verily indeed all pledges shall be accounted for" (Qur'an 17:34).

 

We appeal to FG not to ignore the cause-effect theory which we have repeated on several occasions. Terrorism should not be treated in isolation. It is like smoke. Just as there can be no smoke without fire, there can be no terrorism without injustice. A good fire-fighter will direct his hose at the fire, not at the smoke.

 

To solve Nigeria's security challenges, particularly the Boko Haram saga, FG must step back onto the lanes of history. Afterall today was born from the wombs of yesterday. We must go back to the extra-judicial killing of the leader of Boko Haram and his followers by security agents.

 

MURIC is not opposed to taking cases to ICC, but there must be no selective treatment of cases. We must visit all cases of extra-judicial killings including that of Baga in Borno State in April 2013. We call the attention of the ICC and the international community to this trend and the need to make a clean sweep of all extra-judicial killings and crimes against humanity which have occurred in recent times particularly those related to the Boko Haram phenomenon.

 

We remind FG that arrogance, power-drunkenness and failure to fulfill pledges made to the citizenry brought down the First Republic. We appeal to FG not to be penny wise, pound foolish. The Federal Government should invest in education and resist the temptation to waste money on its second term agenda. Allah says, "Kulu mon alayha faani, wa yabqa wajhu rabika, dhul-jalaal wal-ikraam"; "Everything will come to an end, only the face of your Lord will abide forever" (Qur'an 55:26-27). The future of thousands of Nigerian youths hangs in the balance as FG dillydallies. FG should therefore listen to ASUU and fulfill its agreements.

 

Finally, we call on the National Assembly to enact a bill that will compel future public office holders to show evidence that their children attend schools in Nigeria. We charge ICC, the United Nations, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch to conduct full investigations into the Boko Haram saga with a view to making all perpetrators of crimes against humanity and extra-judicial killings accountable, not Boko Haram suspects alone as posited by the Nigerian Government.  

     

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC),
0818-211-9714

 

 

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC),

234-803-346-4974

234-818-211-9714

E-mail: muslimrightsconcern@yahoo.co.uk

            muslimrights@gmail.com

Website: www.muric.net

Yahoo Group: groups.yahoo.com/group/muslimrights

Blog:       muslimrightsmuric.blogspot.com

Twitter:   twitter.com/muslimrights

               

MURIC's bank account :

Banker's Name: Guaranty Trust Bank

Account Name:        Muslim Rights Concern
Account Number:    0112827277

Be just Justice is the soul of peace

No one can deny one and have the other

Neither can violence or naked force bring lasting peace

SALAH MESSAGE

7th August, 2013
SALAH MESSAGE
GIVE WOMEN SIX MONTHS MATERNITY LEAVE

The holy month of Ramadan is likely to grind to a halt within the next 24 hours if the crescent is sighted this evening. This is coming after 29 days of fasting. It will be rounded up by the Id ul-Fitr festival prayers all over the country.

The significance of the Ramadan season lies in its capacity to serve as an effective training ground for the faithful. It prepares them physically, morally and spiritually. Physically, it improves the health of the nation as those who participated in the exercise are already giving testimonies of a healthier carriage. This is a boost to health records in this country because a healthy nation is a wealthy nation.

Morally, the fasting period has seen a significant fall in the rate of immorality among Muslims who actively participated in the season. This was made possible by the proliferation of sermons in mosques and public Ramadan lectures as well as on radio and television both in the days and nights of Ramadan. Muslims among Nigerian leaders have also witnessed the power of Ramadan. This has the tendency to soften their hearts and make them put the plights of the masses into consideration on national issues.

Spiritually, more Muslims attended mosques and engaged in Islamic programmes during Ramadan. This trend is likely to continue for some time even after Ramadan before its effect begins to wear out.

Yet the greatest significance of Ramadan lies in its being a catalyst of merciful interactions between leaders and the led, between masters and their servants and between workers and their employers.

In this regard and to kick off the manifestation of mercy in our society, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) uses the opportunity of the Salah period to call on the Nigerian authorities to show mercy to working-class nursing mothers by increasing the period of their maternity leave by three months. Hitherto, nursing mothers enjoy three months only as maternity leave.

We consider the three months leave as inadequate and unrealistic in view of recommendations coming from medical experts that newly born children should be strictly placed on breast-milk diet only for the first six months. Experience has also shown that nursing mothers who work in offices undergo a lot of hardship on resumption as they are compelled to start work after just three months. It must added that the sufferings of these nursing mothers are transferred to and shared by their innocent babies.

It is significant to note that the Glorious Qur'an stipulates a two-year breastfeeding period (Qur'an 2:232). Modern science has only recently discovered that breast milk is the best for babies. Women are held in high esteem by Islam. A whole chapter of the Glorious Qur'an (Surat ul-Nisai chapter 4) is dedicated to women. Islam seeks to make life more abundant for women.

Finally, MURIC calls on the National Assembly to initiate an enabling bill in this regard. We assert the Nigerian woman deserves the pride of place in the Nigerian society. We therefore charge the Federal and state governments to adopt policies capable of reducing poverty among Nigerian women in general.

Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC),
0818-211-9714

 

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC),

234-803-346-4974

234-818-211-9714

E-mail: muslimrightsconcern@yahoo.co.uk

            muslimrights@gmail.com

Website: www.muric.net

Yahoo Group: groups.yahoo.com/group/muslimrights

Blog:       muslimrightsmuric.blogspot.com

Twitter:   twitter.com/muslimrights

               

MURIC's bank account :

Banker's Name: Guaranty Trust Bank

Account Name:        Muslim Rights Concern
Account Number:    0112827277

Be just Justice is the soul of peace

No one can deny one and have the other

Neither can violence or naked force bring lasting peace

LAGOS NUJ ACCIDENT: CONDOLENCE MESSAGE

3^rd August, 2013

PRESS RELEASE:

LAGOS NUJ OFFICIALS AUTO-CRASH:

CONDOLENCE MESSAGE 

 

Three members of the Lagos State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) were confirmed dead in a fatal auto crash which occurred yesterday at Ilesa, Osun State. Many others were critically injured. The journalists were returning from a meeting of the federated chapels all over the country with the national leadership of the NUJ which took place at the NUJ national secretariat in Abuja.

 

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) commiserates with the leadership and entire members of the NUJ on this tragic event. We pray that Almighty Allah will give the families of the deceased the courage to bear the loss. We also pray that Allah will invoke His great healing power to return those injured to normalcy.  

 

We see this calamity as one that has befallen the whole country, not journalists alone. Journalists occupy the Fourth Estate of the Realm. They are the voice of the voiceless and, often times, their profession compels them to take risks.

 

We appeal to the Federal Government to insure the lives of all Nigerian journalists. FG should also bear the cost of treating the wounded in this tragic accident. FG must also make urgent arrangements to fly critically injured ones among the journalists outside Nigeria for better medical care. We charge the Lagos State Government to partner with FG in this regard in view of the fact that those involved are mainly from the Lagos chapter of the NUJ.

 

Our urgent appeal also goes to Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, governor of the State of Osun, in whose state the accident occurred to send the best medical team in the state to take care of the injured journalists. The team should be able to ascertain if any of the victims need to be treated abroad. FG should bear the cost of the trip as well as the treatment outside the country. MURIC recalls that Nigeria's First Family and many FG officials have always enjoyed this luxury. We assert that journalists deserve no less.

 

Finally, we observe the alarming trend whereby Nigerian leaders now fly in helicopters for short trips from one town to another or from one part of the town to another. This ugly trend is symptomatic of a carefree leadership. High level corruption and an abominable culture of poor maintenance have turned our roads into killing fields and the leaders are simply abandoning the roads for the jamaaheer al-masaakiin (poor masses). In view of the fact that most accidents in Nigeria are caused by bad roads, we charge the FG to take urgent steps towards overhauling the bad road network in the country in order to avoid similar tragedies in future.  

 

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC),
0818-211-9714

 

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC),

234-803-346-4974

234-818-211-9714

E-mail: muslimrightsconcern@yahoo.co.uk

            muslimrights@gmail.com

Website: www.muric.net

Yahoo Group: groups.yahoo.com/group/muslimrights

Blog:       muslimrightsmuric.blogspot.com

Twitter:   twitter.com/muslimrights

               

MURIC's bank account :

Banker's Name: Guaranty Trust Bank

Account Name:        Muslim Rights Concern
Account Number:    0112827277

Be just Justice is the soul of peace

No one can deny one and have the other

Neither can violence or naked force bring lasting peace