AKINTOLA DELIVERS INAUGURAL LECTURE

Salaam All,

AKINTOLA DELIVERS INAUGURAL LECTURE

The Lagos State University has announced details of Professor Ishaq Akintola’s Inaugural Lecture as follows:
 

TOPIC:  “OH GOD! WHAT HAVE WE DONE?”  

                  AN ESCHATOLOGICAL EXCURSUS

DATE: TUESDAY, 28^TH FEBRUARY, 2017

TIME:    2 PM

VENUE:  NEW UNIVERSITY AUDITORIUM,

                LAGOS STATE UNIVERSITY

                   Lecture to be Delivered by

Ishaq Lakin Akintola  (Ph.D)

PROFESSOR OF ISLAMIC ESCHATOLOGY

Department of Religions and Peace Studies,

Faculty of Arts,

Lagos State University

ALL GUESTS MUST BE SEATED BY 2 PM. 

CONDITIONS FOR 2ND WIFE: EMIR OF KANO IS ON COURSE

21^st February, 2017

PRESS RELEASE:

CONDITIONS FOR 2^ND WIFE: EMIR OF KANO IS ON COURSE

The Emir of Kano yesterday revealed that the state government is preparing a law that will make it mandatory for men seeking to marry second wives to satisfy certain conditions before they can be allowed to do so.    

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) wholeheartedly supports this move. It conforms with the pronouncements of the Glorious Qur’an on marriage. It is a bold, visionary and revolutionary step.

Although Islam allows a man to marry up to four wives, this permission is meant to provide security for widows and other unmarried women. It is an open secret that women outnumber men in all parts of the world. Islam therefore permits men to marry more than one wife in other to provide shelter and welfare for those women who would have been left single.

In the first instance, the Qur’an enjoins those who do not have the capacity to maintain even a single wife to abstain from marriage until they can become economically strong enough. The verse says, “Let those who do not have the means for marriage keep themselves chaste until Allah gives them means out of his Grace” (Qur’an 24:33).

The above verse takes care of men who are still bachelors. But another verse caters for both bachelors and married men. It allows a man who already has one wife to take a second woman, a third or even a fourth but with the proviso that such a man must have sufficient wherewithal to care for them all.

The verse says inter alia, “…Marry two, three or four women of your choice.  But if you fear that you will not be able to deal justly with them, marry only one...” (Qur’an 4:3). It is thus clear that, ceteris paribus, Islam actually encourages monogamy and a second wife (or third and fourth) can only come in where there is surplus provision.  

What the Kano State government is trying to do is to give interpretation to the phrase ‘to deal justly’ with two, three or four women. This becomes necessary in view of the fact that many Muslims abuse this window by marrying more than one wife when in reality they cannot even maintain one wife comfortably. The result is the production of children who end up as social miscreants.

MURIC commends the vision and courage of the Emir of Kano as well as the forthrightness of Kano State Government for evolving this great idea. We charge other states which have Muslim majority population to emulate this policy. It is capable of reducing poverty, raising the standard of living and increasing the number of literate citizens.     

Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)

LAGOS HIJAB JUDGEMENT: ALLOW THE LAW TO TAKE ITS DUE COURSE

8^th February, 2017

PRESS RELEASE:

LAGOS HIJAB JUDGEMENT:

ALLOW THE LAW TO TAKE ITS DUE COURSE

The Lagos Appeal Court yesterday struck out the stay of execution order sought by the Lagos State Government on the right of female Muslim students to use hijab with their school uniforms.     

Asiyat Abdul Kareem (through her father), Moriam Oyeniyi and the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria had won appeal of case CA/L/135/15 against the Lagos State Government on 21^st July, 2016 when all the five judges of the Lagos Appeal Court approved the use of hijab in Lagos public schools. The state government immediately approached the Supreme Court to appeal the case and also sought a stay of the execution at the Appeal Court.

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) hails the rejection of the stay of execution sought by the Lagos Government. It is bold, convincing and reassuring. It cements our faith in the judiciary as the last hope of the common man.

MURIC appeals to the state government to allow sleeping dogs to lie. There is a limit even for official ego. There must come a time when government scoops to allow the general will to prevail. But the law is on the side of the general will this time. A government installed via democratic process cannot afford to disrespect a court judgement. This latest decision is legally binding and Lagos has no choice. Afterall, it is the center of excellence.

The honourable path is for the center of excellence to walk its talk. The state government must instruct the Ministry of Education to tell school principals to allow female Muslim children to use hijab in public schools.

Without being immodest, we assure all and sundry that we know our rights. Any school authority who disallows female Muslim students or pupils from using hijab risks being jailed for contempt of court. We have been patient enough. Our children have listened to us. They eschewed violence. They obeyed the rules of decorum. Now the die is cast.

Muslims have been accused severally of resorting to spontaneous violence even though they have always been provoked. But the case is different this time around. Lagos Muslims went to court instead of going violent and the courts have decided. Lagos government must allow the law to take its due course.   

Finally, Nigerians and indeed the rest of the world must see this as a test case for democracy and the rule of law in Lagos State. We want to know how democratic are our democrats? To be or not to be? That is the question. Whether Lagos will respect the courts and allow the students to use hijab as ordered by the court or whether the grandstanding, the stigmatization, the oppression and persecution will continue is left to be seen. The world is watching.

Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)

MURIC CONDOLES DG DSS, POLICE IG

7^h February, 2017

PRESS RELEASE:

MURIC CONDOLES DG DSS, POLICE IG

The Kano State Director of the Department of State Security (DSS), Abdullahi Chiranchi, died two days ago after a brief illness.

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) commiserates with the Director General of the DSS, Alhaji Lawal Musa Daura, The Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and the entire DSS Kano formation on the sudden death of Alhaji Chiranchi.

May Allah forgive him and repose his soul in Al-Jannah Firdaus. May Allah in His Infinite Mercy also fill the vacuum left behind by his death and cushion the economic effect on the family.

Similarly, the Cross Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Francis Mobolaji Odesanya, died on January 31, 2017 in far away India where he had gone for treatment. He was 58 years old.    

We express our deepest sympathy to the Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Ibrahim Kpotum Idris and the Governor of Cross Rivers State, Benedict Ayade, on this irreparable loss. May Allah give the family and friends the strength to bear the loss.

In view of the circumstances leading to the death of Abdullahi Chiranchi in particular, MURIC advocates that the Federal and State governments should put less stress on the heads of security agencies. Governments should also provide adequate measures for frequent health checks and facilities for security officers who bear huge responsibilities. Provision should also be made for leave opportunities for top security officers at regular intervals.

Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)

TUFACE RALLY: A RALLY FOR ANOTHER FERRARI

5^th February, 2017

PRESS RELEASE:

TUFACE RALLY: A RALLY FOR ANOTHER FERRARI

Renowned musician, Innocent Ujah Idibia, aka Tuface Idibia, has reportedly called off a protest he was organizing against the Buhari-led administration. The protest which was earlier billed for 6^th February, 2017, was called off early today. Tuface allegedly hinged the call-off on security concerns.    

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) rejects Tuface’s cancelled protest and any other planned rally against the Buhari administration on grounds of immorality, irrationality and bad timing. Such planned rallies can only spring from bad faith, malice, greed and avarice. It is inexplicable to protest against a good government.

If Tuface has truly called off his planned rally, what happens to his partners in anger? What happens to some civil society groups that have identified with his rally? Are they also backing out or going ahead. Tuface merely cited security concerns but said nothing about his accomplices. He made no appeal to them to stay action. What of the governor who vowed to join Tuface in the protest?    

Whether they are backing off or not, the fact is that the proposed rally is immoral because there is ample evidence that Tuface had benefitted from the financial impropriety of the immediate past administration.

Is it true or not that Tuface wedding in Dubai was bankrolled by Governor Godswill Akpabio? Is it true that the same governor gave Tuface two SUV cars? Is it also true that the governor sponsored twenty nine (29) people from Akwa Ibom to accompany Tuface to the wedding? Is it equally true that a leading senator from the opposition party bought a Ferrari worth N47 million naira for Tuface?

If the answers to the above questions are positive, then Nigerians are being taken for a ride. Tuface has benefitted immensely from the immediate past but recklessly corrupt government and the proposed protest is nothing but a payback. We can trace Tuface’s anger to the fact that the source of free and easy money has dried up. The fact that a state governor who is seldom rational has shown interest in Tuface’s rally reveals where Tuface is coming from.

The proposed rally is irrational because there is palpable change already. For instance, it is no longer business as usual for corrupt public officials. The Buhari administration is holding people accountable. Leakages are being plugged. Loots are being recovered. Government is no longer spending recklessly.

We admit that times are very hard for Nigerians but the present administration cannot be blamed for Nigeria’s current economic woes. It was caused by the past administration. Have Nigerians forgotten how ex-President Goodluck Jonathan encouraged the stealing of public funds? Have we forgotten his lackadaisical attitude to corruption? Jonathan’s landmark declaration that ‘stealing is not corruption’ is still fresh in our memory.

The fall in the price of crude oil from $110.48 to as low as $27.57 immediately Buhari took over also worsened the economy. Neither did the sponsored sabotage of oil pipes help matters.    

Tuface’s proposed rally is also badly timed. It is being mentored by impatient godfathers. The allies of Tuface should rescind their decision to join him. Neither should they proceed now that he has put his protest vehicle in the reverse gear. This administration made it clear to Nigerians that it met an empty treasury and that it would take some time for the economy to come afloat. It is not up to two years that the Buhari regime came on board. Why can’t we be patient?

A nation in recession needs time to recover. Records have shown that recessions usually last at least three years, not less. It may be more, depending on its management. The worldwide recession of 1930 lasted till 1933. That of 1973 lasted till 1976. There were two others from 1979 to 1983 and from 1990 to 1993. The ricochets of the economic meltdown of 2008 are still being felt in some European countries like Greece and Italy.

But there is hope for Nigerians because whereas the immediate past administration lacked accountability and rollicked with shady characters, the present Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari is enthroning financial prudence and good governance. The price of crude oil is also rising steadily and stands at $53.83 as at yesterday. Oil has also been found in commercial quantity outside its troubled traditional enclave.

Tuface’s planned protest is therefore a protest against good governance, a protest against virtue, a protest against transparency, probity and accountability. It doesn’t really add up. Only those who benefitted from the corrupt enrichment of the past and those who want corruption to continue ad infinitum can join such a protest.

In conclusion, MURIC appeals to Nigerians to be patient with the Buhari administration and to massively boycott any rally by Tuface or any of his allies. It is a rally for another Ferrari. No more no less. Only irrational people protest against a good government.

Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)