25th March, 2019
PRESS RELEASE:
WAEC
OFFICIAL THREATENS MURIC’S DIRECTOR
A deputy registrar in the
West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Mr. Henry S. A. Osidehinde has been
accused of issuing threats against the Director of the Muslim Rights Concern
(MURIC), Professor Ishaq Akintola.
Mr. Osidehinde, a
reverend, issued the threat during a WAEC seminar for teachers held at the
council’s headquarters in Ogba, Ikeja, on Thursday, 14th March,
2019. This was disclosed in a press statement issued on Monday, 25th
March, 2019. The statement was jointly signed by the general secretary of the
organization, Alhaji Yakeen Williams and the public relations officer, Mr,
Shafiu Ayorinde.
According to MURIC, the
WAEC official allegedly said, “Even in Nigeria we are becoming over-religious.
We are becoming more holier (sic) than Pope and more holier (sic) than the man
in Saudi Arabia, that someone like Professor Ishaq Akintola will now be going
to schools and disrupting places because of free time. We need to stop this.
“I mention this because it
is getting too much and I expect the Lagos State Government to take proper
action against Professor Ishaq Akintola. He went to a school and disrupted the
registration exercise there. I have the video here. No, don’t threaten an
institution that belongs to the government.
“The government can take
anybody out and you may not see the person again and nothing will happen.
Nothing. Not that they will kill the person. They will just take that person
out of circulation and keep him somewhere”.
MURIC expressed shock at
the threat issued by the WAEC official. Continuing, the human rights
organization said, “This is nauseating. A Christian reverend holding a high
post in such a sensitive institution nurses such pernicious ideas against a
fellow human being? Where is his Christlikeness? It is sad that there are many
like him in the civil service.
“This Muslim-hater forgot
that we are in an IT world. Things have changed. Hardly can you say anything
nowadays and get away with it. There are records everywhere today. Even walls
now have ears. We are waiting for him to deny it. We have the audio clip. Just
let him try to deny it.
“We cannot take Mr.
Osidehinde’s threat against our Director lightly. It is outrageous. How can a
whole deputy registrar in WAEC office talk like that? He has simply proved that
he is a Christian fanatic. How can you wish a fellow Nigerian should disappear
permanently? He must explain all these to the authorities.
“The deputy registrar
complained that Akintola was threatening an institution (i.e. WAEC) that
belongs to the government. But we will like to ask the reverend/deputy
registrar if it is right to use an institution that belongs to government to
persecute Muslims.
“Or is it WAEC that sent
him on this criminal errand? Does WAEC wish Akintola dead? Does the examination
body want our Director to disappear? It had better not happen. But did WAEC
authorize its Christian officials to use their positions to vilify Muslims and
wish them kidnapped or killed? Did WAEC ask its officials to use an institution
that belongs to government to persecute Muslims?
“It is abundantly clear
from the above transcript that Reverend Osidehinde is filled with ill-will for
Professor Akintola. He has evil desires. He wants Akintola to disappear. What
we are not sure of is the extent to which he can go. That is what the security
agencies should find out from him. Does the government have a special squad
that makes people disappear? Will he arrange to kidnap Akintola if government
fails to make him disappear? Will he organize an assassination?”
MURIC also called on the
Inspector General of Police, Muhammed Adamu, to launch a full investigation
into the incident. The group also sought protection for its Director and
members of his family.
“Reverend Osidehinde
wants to cause crisis in this country by carelessly issuing threat against a
public figure. We call on the security agencies to launch full investigation
into the circumstances surrounding this incident. We also ask for protection
for our Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola. Nobody should be allowed to play
God in the lives of his fellowmen.
“We remind the Inspector
General of Police that our Director is a public figure and a notable Muslim
leader. Threat to the life of such a person should not be ignored. We are
certain that the security agencies know what we are talking about”.
The Islamic human rights
organization explained why it intervened in the school incident.
“Helpless parents whose
children were being forced to remove their hijab in Iba Estate Senior Secondary
School called us to help. They also came with us. It is a public school, not a
private property. It belongs to all of us. Therefore nobody has the right to
use such property for the persecution of Muslim children. It is called a
school, not a prison yard for crying out loud. In any case the Lagos State
Government declared that hijab is legitimate and that female Muslim students
have the right to use it.
“Surprisingly, overzealous
and fanatical school principals and teachers refused to obey the state
government’s directive. They ordered the children to remove their hijab when
they were about to take pictures for the registration of WAEC. That was
Draconian. It was an illegal order and the parents kicked.
“Recalcitrant principals
and teachers who continue to disobey Lagos government’s directive on hijab
should know that those who disallow what the state government allows make it
impossible for Muslim students not to disobey. The teachers disobeyed the state
government and the parents told their children to disobey the teachers. Muslim
children are being persecuted by fanatical Christian principals and teachers
under the guise of performing official functions.
“MURIC merely went in to
ensure that government’s directive was carried out. We went there to ensure
that fanatical teachers are not allowed to sabotage government’s policy. In any
case, was it WAEC that gave instructions that female Muslim students should
remove their hijab as claimed by those who came to register the students?
“Did WAEC also issue the
same instruction to schools in Northern Nigeria? The school’s action was
illegal. You cannot build anything on nullity. The school principal or his reverend/deputy
registrar friend in WAEC may want to go to court for the action taken by MURIC.
We are waiting.
MURIC denied the claim
made by Osidehinde in the audio that Akintola or MURIC threatened WAEC.
“It is a big lie. Neither
Akintola as an individual nor MURIC has ever threatened any individual or
institution. It is not in our character. We challenge the reverend/deputy
registrar to provide his evidence for Nigerians to see.
The problem we have in
Nigeria today is that fanatics like Reverend Osidehinde become carried away by
their religious zeal so much so that they allow it to becloud their
objectivity. They use their public office to persecute people of other faith. Meanwhile
they see Akintola and MURIC as a threat to their illegal exploit. That is
simply what has happened. That is why our reverend wants Akintola guillotined.
MURIC wondered how WAEC
has been condoning excesses committed against Muslims. It also requested WAEC
to investigate the matter internally and take necessary action afterwards.
“We are wondering what is
happening in WAEC and we are asking if Muslims are safe in the hands of this
regional examination body. Why is Islamophobia so deeply entrenched in WAEC? A
WAEC official yanked off the hijab from a female Muslim candidate’s head right
inside the examination hall some years back. We reported the case but what did
WAEC do?
“What is WAEC going to do
with this case of threat to life coming from a top management staff, an officer
of the rank of deputy registrar? Why was he so flippant, so careless? Was the
seminar about MURIC’s activities or about Akintola? If it is not so, why the
dangerous digression? Has Deputy Registrar Osidehinde behaved professionally? When
did beer parlour gossip become WAEC’s business? Or does his threat represent
WAEC’s official position? If so, is WAEC just going to sit back, pat him on the
back and give him double promotion? Nigerians are watching.
“On our part, we demand
that WAEC commences investigation into the threat to the life of our Director
with immediate effect. The fact that the threat was made in the course of
carrying out an official duty makes it mandatory for the examination body to take
disciplinary action against its erring staff. Osidehinde personalized issues
and allowed his hatred for Muslims to override official discipline. WAEC needs
to clear its good name.
“At this juncture, we are
compelled to ask what Osidehinde and his cohorts want. They are now after the
life of a man who devoted his entire life to peaceful persuasion. This is a man
who boldly condemned Boko Haram and constantly urges Muslims to eschew
extremism and remain law-abiding. By
seeking to kill him or make him disappear, it means they will not be satisfied
until he keeps quiet and allows them to do whatever they like with Nigerian
Muslims.
“They are not happy with
him because he stands between them and their desire to silence Muslims
permanently, to persecute them and finally to eliminate Islam completely from
the entire country. As the founder of MURIC, Akintola has modelled his
organization on pacific activism, non-violence and dialogue and has never been
involved in any violent incident.
“Nonetheless, our Director
is known for outstanding courage on account of which he was recently turbaned
as the Kinniun Adinni (Lion of Scholars). The courage which he exhibits in fighting
against the oppression of Muslims should not be misinterpreted as lawlessness
or religious extremism. We reject such blackmail. Akintola is merely fighting
for justice, fairness and equity and he uses intellectual and peaceful methods,
not violence.
“In a nutshell, we condemn
this threat against our Director. We charge the IG to take necessary steps
capable of ensuring Professor Akintola’s safety. We call on WAEC to immediately
institute investigations into the matter”.
Alhaji Yakeen Williams, Shafiu Ayorinde
General Secretary Public Relations Officer
Muslim Rights Concern
(MURIC)
