LAY AMBUSH FOR SPONSORS OF ARTIFICIAL FUEL SCARCITY

29^th October, 2018  

PRESS RELEASE:

LAY AMBUSH FOR SPONSORS OF ARTIFICIAL FUEL SCARCITY

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has called on the Federal Government (FG) to tighten its seat belt as yuletide approaches. The organization alerted FG to the annual phenomenom of artificial fuel scarcity which usually reared its ugly head at the approach of the end of the year.       

Sounding the alarm in a press release issued on Monday 29^th October, 2018, was Professor Ishaq Akintola, director of the human rights organization.

“November is fast approaching. This is the time enemies of the people usually start their nefarious activities. Although past regimes failed to stop them, the Buhari administration has been able to curtail their criminal manouvers. Long queues began appearing at fuel stations a long time ago. More than three successive regimes tried to tackle it but they failed. It is to the credit of the Buhari administration that the ugly phenomenon was halted. But it reappeared briefly towards the end of last year.    

“November is just three days away today and these agents of darkness must be somewhere now plotting to disrupt the smooth flow of supply and distribution. Their main objective is to discredit the government of the day particularly now that the 2019 election is just a stone’s throw away.

This was the same way their powerful but corrupt godfathers in politics used the National Assembly (NASS) to ambush Buhari’s government for fear of being probed by an anti-corruption regime. They sponsored fifth columnists to take over the leadership of the NASS from the very beginning of this administration. In an effort to retard the progress of this administration and smear its image, they delayed approval of ministerial nominees and later claimed that Buhari was not prepared. They delayed approval of budgets for up to seven months and even got so close that President Buhari was only lucky to have been alive today.  

“It is only in Nigeria that opposition will go as far as infiltrating government’s ranks to cause havoc and make the citizens suffer. In other climes, different political parties map out strategies to tackle different problems facing the country. In Britain, if conservative Tories face juvenile delinquency, Labour will address the issue of unemployment when it comes to power. In America, if Democrats tackle health insurance, Republicans will take up illegal migrants.

“But in Nigeria, what opposition knows how to do best is to constitute clogs in the wheel of progress. The current opposition in particular has thrown fairplay, honour and patriotism to the winds from the very beginning of the Buhari administration. The body language has been loud and clear.   

“It is therefore necessary for FG to watch out from now on. Another attempt may be made to cause artificial fuel scarcity. Those behind the move do not care about the common man. They do not care about hundreds of citizens who will be stranded on the roads as a result of fuel scarcity or the average Nigerian car owner who will be compelled to spend hours at fuel stations”.

MURIC also called on FG to do everything within its power to avert the looming total strike bythe Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

“Unlike the fifth columnists who are behind artificial fuel scarcity, NLC’s demand for higher pay for Nigerian workers is genuine. A strike around this time is most likely to affect both the supply and distribution of petroleum products.This is why FG must do everything to avert a total strike. But we appeal to labour leaders to also consider the timing. A strike that runs into the yuletide period will touch the citizens’ soft spots.

“The concern of the Muslim Rights Concern is Nigeria’s majority Muslim population and the totality of the Nigerian citizenry. It is not any political party.

Wise people say, ‘Fool me once, shame on you, but fool me a second time, shame on me’. Those sixteen years of aimlessness, planlessness and visionlessness must not be allowed to return. Once bitten, twice shy. Those wasted years must compel us to recoil and to shun those whose cardinal dogma is ‘stealing is not corruption’.

“Finally, we implore FG to marshal all necessary state apparatus to ensure that saboteurs are not allowed to cause artificial scarcity. We call on Nigerians to be watchful. This government cares for ordinary citizens. All the roads and rail lines that are being built are for us and our children. We have a duty to expose saboteurs. We have a duty to support a government whose officials are not eating up our common wealth. We must support an administration which is using scarce resources to build a prosperous future for all of us.

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

EFCC TO BLAME FOR FAYOSE’S ROBIN HOOD MENTALITY

25^th October, 2018  

PRESS RELEASE:

EFCC TO BLAME FOR FAYOSE’S ROBIN HOOD MENTALITY

The former governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, who is currently facing trial for graft cases, reportedly took stomach infrastructure to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) office by feeding over 150 people, including detainees and visitors two days ago. The elated detainees allegedly sang the national anthem after their stomachs had been filled. Fayose also allegedly secured lawyers for some of the detainees and promised to assist those who have challenges meeting their bail conditions.

However, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has described the incident as outrageous, preposterous and embarrassing. This was contained in a press statement released by the human rights organization on Thursday, 25^th October, 2018. The statement was signed by the director and founder of the Islamic group, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

“It is a comedy of errors. A man accused of stealing money belonging to the people is allowed to rewind the famous Robin Hood tape under the watch of an anti-graft agency. This calls the seriousness of some EFCC operatives to question. How can they allow such a thing to happen? It is the shame of a nation. We are miffed.

“EFCC and other security agencies have no business detaining people they cannot feed adequately. It is highly immoral to arrest and detain a man knowing fully well that you do not have the capacity to cater for his basic needs, namely, food, water and shelter. Should detainees be responsible for feeding themselves? This is a national question that must be answered once and for all. Nigerians must know their rights.

“Nay, Nigerians must know their oppressors. How can we allow the same kleptomaniacs who stole our common patrimony to come and feed us with their dirty blood money in times of distress? It is mockery of the highest order and it robs us of our dignity if we welcome them with open arms. They have come to laugh at us for being foolish enough to think hardwork, honesty and patriotism alone can provide our needs. It is dehumanising. This cannot happen in saner climes. Are we serious as a people? We are nonplussed.

“Human dignity is Allah-given according to Qur’an 17:70. It says, ‘We have granted dignity to the children of Adam…’. Why should EFCC rob Nigerian citizens of their Allah-given dignity by detaining them without adequate feeding thereby exposing them to political charlatans, ideological demagogues and unrepentant con artists?

“EFCC and the Nigerian security agencies need to take note of the provisions of Section 34 (i) (a) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which guarantees the dignity of every Nigerian citizen. The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, Article 4, Clause 1 & 2 also lays emphasis on the inviolability of the dignity of the human person. It says, ‘Human beings are inviolable. Every human being shall be entitled to respect for his life and the integrity of his person.’”

“Starving detainees is the same as depriving them of their dignity. It dehumanizes them by turning them into beggars. It exposes them to weakness and endangers their health. The power to detain is not tantamount to the power to starve. No policeman under the sun has the right to detain and starve a suspect at the same time.

“EFCC cannot fight corruption by promoting corruption. This is what will happen if it detains people it cannot feed. Not only that. EFCC will be encroaching on Allah-given fundamental human rights of citizens if people are detained without being fed. A moral burden hangs on the conscience of EFCC if this is what has been happening. We demand an explanation”.

MURIC also descended heavily on the ex-governor, Ayodele Fayose, accusing him of exploiting the condition of detainees to score a cheap political point.

“Fayose is a comedian. He is exploiting the poor condition of detainees just to score a cheap political point. He is seeking cheap popularity. He is also a fake Robin Hood. This was not the way Robin Hood shared his stolen money among the poor. Robin Hood gave out every kobo stolen by him. Fayose is accused of stealing billions but he is giving out pittance. He is playing on the gullibility of Nigerians.

“How much does it cost to bail a detainee? How much does it cost to feed 150 people? He could not have spent up to N50,000. It is chicken feed compared to the humongous amount allegedy stolen by him. Fayose is like a man who stole elephants but he is deceiving the people by giving out ants. He is a pretender. We reject his Robin Hood mentality.    

“As we take a break, we charge EFCC and the security agencies to spare us the horror of hunger in the cells. Detainees must be adequately fed by those keeping them out of circulation. They should not be subjected to the dehumanizing spectacle of fake Robin Hoods. We implore the Police Service Commission to review conditions of detention in police cells as it affects the feeding of detainees.”.

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

NAME, ARREST & PROSECUTE SPONSORS OF BEROM KILLERS

22^nd October, 2018  

PRESS RELEASE:

NAME, ARREST & PROSECUTE  SPONSORS OF BEROM KILLERS

The Nigeria Army last week Wednesday 17^th October, 2018, presented 13 suspects arrested in connection with missing Major General Idris Alkali (rtd) to newsmen in Jos. The suspects were subsequently handed over to the police for further investigation.

Commending the army for respecting the rule of law by handing over the suspects to the police, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) on Monday charged the Inspector General of Police to ensure that justice is not only done but it must be seen to have been done.  

According to the director of the human rights group, Professor Ishaq Akintola, “The police must speedily, diligently and meticulously prosecute the suspects. Not only that, the sponsors must be fished out, identified, arrested and prosecuted. Those thirteen suspects are mere pawns in the hands of powerful sponsors. They are the symptoms, not the disease. It is the sponsors who are behind the illegal smuggling of arms into Plateau State and the killing of Muslims and Fulanis.

“The blood-letting will continue even with the incarceration of these few men unless the sponsors are dealt with. There must be no sacred cows. The failure to apprehend sponsors behind the Plateau mayhem has been responsible for its continuity. Now is the time to be assertive. The investigation must be comprehensive.

“The government of Plateau State is advised to steer clear of the current investigations. We have no iota of doubt that the state government has vested interest. Many of the sponsors would have been in police net long ago but for official protection. In particular, both Jonah Jang and Joshua Dariye have demonstrated open bias. Dariye was once quoted as allegedly saying that he would make Plateau State the center of Christianity in Nigeria. This statement presupposes that Dariye turned Plateau into a Christian state and falls short of what is expected of a state governor in a multi-religious Nigeria.  

“The massacre of Muslims in 2001 and the merciless killing, roasting and eating of the dead bodies of hundreds of Muslims at the Id (Salah ground) in 2011 could not have taken place without the connivance of government officials. The show of shame lasted the whole day and calls to security agents for intervention went unheeded. This proves that there was no approval for action from above.

“We strongly believe that apart from the involvement of the state government in 2011, ex-President Jonathan who was in power at that time provided illegal cover for the killers as all the security agencies failed to intervene when the killing, roasting and eating of the dead bodies continued throughout the day.

“This is why the Federal Government (FG) must show interest in the case. It is beyond the murder of an army general. The fact that other vehicles and corpses were found under the pool of death is enough to prove that the killing has been going on for years. It is time for FG to conjure the political will to deal with the situation.

“The fact that the state government may be hands in gloves with the killers or their sponsors makes it imperative for FG to intervene. Nigerian Muslims will only repose confidence in a neutral authority. FG may need to establish a judicial commission of inquiry into the Plateau imbroglio and all present and past heads of security agencies must testify.  

“The implications are wider and more serious and Nigerian Muslims do not lack the intellectual capacity to fully comprehend it. By waylaying travelers and killing the Fulani and Muslims among them, Berom killers have declared war on all Nigerian Muslims. There is no doubt that Muslims of all tribes have fallen victims of this barbaric act.

“So it is beyond the murder of a Muslim army general. Everything points at premeditated murder of persons belonging to the Fulani extraction and Muslims of any tribe at all. The Beroms have murdered Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, Kanuri, Edo Muslims, etc. No civilized nation will stomach such atrocity and no serious central government will abdicate its responsibility in this respect.

“We therefore appeal to FG to order the draining of other ponds withing the vicinity of the Dura-Du Pond of Death because there is every reason to believe that many vehicles, decomposing bodies and skeletons of murdered Muslim travelers will still be lying under Berom ponds. Until this is done, until the capacity of Berom Christian killers to block the road and kill Muslims at will is neutralized, Nigerian Muslims from the North and South are not safe. It is the responsibility of FG to ensure our safety.

“Nigerian Muslims are prepared to live in peace with their Christian neighbours but there must be assurance that Muslims are safe to traverse the length and breadth of this great country. FG must take every necessary action to protect Muslim travelers particularly from merciless killers, terrorists and cannibals in our midst. The starting point is ensuring that the sponsors of these killers are exposed and prosecuted. Those found guilty must face the full wrath of the law.

In our closing remarks, we charge the Nigerian Police to prosecute the 13 suspects handed over by the army. We also urge the police and other security agencies to dig deeper. The sponsors of the blood-thirsty killers must be identified, arrested and prosecuted. The case goes beyond a murdered army general. It is a case of massacre, ethnic cleansing and systematic elimination of Muslim travelers over a long period. The Plateau state government is suspected of active connivance. FG must therefore intervene and ensure the protection of Muslim travelers particularly in Berom territory.

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

ET TU FAYEMI: ALL-CHRISTIAN CABINET?

18^th October, 2018

PRESS RELEASE:

ET TU FAYEMI: ALL-CHRISTIAN CABINET?

The newly inaugurated governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, made his first appointments yesterday. In a statement released on Tuesday evening, the Governor named Mr Abiodun Oyebanji as Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Biodun Omoleye as Chief of Staff  (COS) and Mr Yinka Oyebode as Chief Press Secretary (CPS).

In its first public comments on the change of leadership in the state early on Thursday, October 18, 2018, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) welcomed Dr. Fayemi to the prestigious position of the first citizen in Ekiti State. The group also congratulated him on his well deserved electoral victory and prayed that his tenure would bring peace and progress to the good people of the state.     

However, MURIC criticized the first appointments made by the governor. In the statement signed by the director and founder of the human rights organization, Professor Ishaq Akintola, the group wondered why no single Muslim was among the first three appointments since both the governor and his deputy are Christians.

“It is a dangerous signal considering what Muslims in the state went through under the dictator and totalitarian ruler, Ayodele Fayose who is currently rehearsing his incarceration songs in EFCC cell in Abuja. In flagrant demonstration of gymnastic religiousity and excessive hate action, Fayose demolished our mosques. He forbade the learning of Arabic language in the state. He encouraged matchet-brandishing masquerades and thugs to attack Muslim worshippers inside their mosques. The blood of Muslims flowed freely on the streets of Ekiti. Fayose’s ordeal has just started. We remember that we promised to visit him in Kirikiri. We hope to keep that promise very soon.

“Under Fayose’s administrative misadventure, the deputy governor, speaker, deputy speaker, SSG, COS, all the judges in the state, all the fourteen (14) commissioners, all the special advisers except one, all the twenty six (26) permanent secretaries, all the 14 permanent secretaries, all the board chairmen, all the chairmen and members of boards of Ekiti State University, the colleges of education and health technology as well as all the sixteen (16) local government caretaker chairmen except one were Christians. Muslims in the state who constitute no less than 35% of the total population were totally eclipsed. It had better not happen again under Fayemi.

“Yesterday’s appointments hit us pretty hard. Three straight appointments at a go and none went to a Muslim. Incidentally all three appointments are very crucial. They are personnel who must essentially stay close to the governor every hour of the day. We are becoming disillusioned.

“Et tu Fayemi! How can the Muslims start getting the same treatment they received under Fayose when they gave you massive support during the election? We know you as a moderate and tolerant Christian. Have you changed? What went wrong? We hope our fears will be addressed in the next few days and weeks as your government takes proper shape. It is only fair that Muslims are given proper representation in the appointment of commissioners, board chairmen, etc.

“It is on record that Muslims received good attention during Fayemi’s first tenure as governor of the state and we expect nothing less. Fayemi was the first governor in the whole South West to allow female Muslim students in public schools to use hijab even without any protests or legal action. That action alone gave us the impression that Fayemi is one of the few Christians in Nigeria who is ready and willing to promote religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence.

“In our closing remarks, MURIC calls on the new governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, to continue to promote religious tolerance. We urge him to close ranks with Muslims in the state and to show the world that he is not a religious bigot like his immediate predecessor. We remind the ruling party in Ekiti state that Muslims deserve a fair share in the political appointments to be announced in the next few weeks”.    

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