MURIC REPLIES CONTROVERSIAL BRITISH LAWMAKER: PRESIDENT’S HEALTH IS NIGERIA’S INTERNAL AFFAIR, STOP YOUR COUNTRY FROM SITTING ON NIGERIA’S MONEY

25^th May, 2017

PRESS RELEASE:

MURIC REPLIES CONTROVERSIAL BRITISH LAWMAKER: PRESIDENT’S HEALTH IS NIGERIA’S INTERNAL AFFAIR, STOP YOUR COUNTRY FROM SITTING ON NIGERIA’S MONEY

Controversial ex-British parliamentarian, Eric Stuart Joyce, who earlier claimed that President Muhammadu Buhari is dead, has urged Nigerians to ask questions about President Buhari's health. Joyce said in a democracy, Nigerians should not be kept in the dark about the president's health.

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) thanks Mr. Joyce for his advice. We agree that satisfying the electorate’s curiousity engenders robust debate in a democracy. But that is only ceteris paribus. There are other more important factors which may determine whether or not it is advisable to disclose the president’s health. Ours is a democracy of voodoo, death-wish, bolekaja, kleptocracy, ethnic jingoism and religious fanaticism. This is contrary to what obtains in free democracies like Britain and the United States.

While we may want to stop short of asking Mr. Joyce to desist from interfering in Nigeria’s internal affairs, we are constrained to seize the opportunity of his interest in our country to plead with him to divert his interest to the billions of sterling  pounds siphoned from Nigeria’s shores to British banks and other investment sources in England.

It must interest Mr. Joyce that the British economy is being propped up with money stolen from Nigeria. We are urging the ex-parliamentarian to use his connections particularly among his friends who are still in parliament. Nothing stops the ex-lawmaker from issuing a public statement to compel the British government to repartriate money stolen from this country.

MURIC contends that Britain and the rest of Europe, particularly Switzerland which operates secret bank account system thereby shielding thieves from exposure and subsequent prosecution are aiding and abetting corruption in the Third World. The looters of our common wealth would not have succeeded without the existence of such leeways.

Mr. Joyce will agree with MURIC that countries where stolen money is kept is an accessory after the fact. Again, countries that benefit in any way from the proceeds of stolen money have a burden of morality on their conscience. But is Mr. Joyce ready to help free Britain from its moral burden?

In conclusion, we assert that the ball is in Mr. Joyce court. Whether to give the issue of Nigeria’s stolen money in British banks (oiling British economy) the same publicity as he gave the president’s health remain to be seen in the next few days. Joyce may want to use his influence in the House of Commons (where we believe he must still have many friends) to stir up a debate on the need to repartriate Nigeria’s stolen money. This will be more honourable than stirring up needless controversy on the Nigerian president’s health.   

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