MUSLIM-MUSLIM TICKET: MURIC BAUCHI BRANCH TACKLES DOGARA

 

28^th September, 2022

PRESS RELEASE:

MUSLIM-MUSLIM TICKET: BAUCHI MURIC TACKLES DOGARA

 

The Chairman of Bauchi State Chapter of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has reacted to statements linked to Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara in which he condemned the idea of a Muslim-Muslim ticket in the forthcoming 2023 presidential election.

 

In a statement released on Wednesday, 28^th September, 2022, the Bauchi Chapter chairman, Barrister Idrees Safiyanu Gambo said :

 

“This piece became necessary today, because of the surprise elements that triggered my reaction as the Chairman of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) in Bauchi State.

 

“Let me start by confessing that before now, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara used to have a special place in my heart because despite our common tendencies he has remained relevant and politically productive in Bauchi State politics since his emergence as the Representative of the Dass, Tafawa Balewa, Bogoro Federal Constituency in 2007 till date.

 

“But his recent presentation on the 20/09/2022 before the Nigerian National Christians Coalition (NNCC), where right from the introductory part of his speech he went straight to the issue of concern, saying:

 

“I need neither remind us that nation building is such a complex and complicated subject so much so that after 108 years of amalgamation and 62 years of independence, our attempt at nation building has been, to say the least, an unmitigated disaster. While this is a subject matter that should be on the lips of all Nigerians, embarrassingly we busy ourselves with winning elections at all cost after which the power elites deploy institutional prerogatives with reckless abandon as if leadership is a zero-sum game. This of course, without any reference let alone commitment to nation building.” 

 

“The game from the beginning seems very clear to people like Dogara, when they decided at the expense of religion to support the candidature of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu despite the presence of the Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo who is a fellow Christian from the same South West, because in his political mathematics as Chief Chuba Okadigbo will prefer to put it, at that time religion was secondary to their personal ambition, because if you permit me, the office of the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is more important to that of the Vice President in any country.

 

“In my opinion, the question of the Muslim-Muslim Ticket is purely a child of necessity in today’s arrangement and nobody appears to have captured it without sentiment better than the former Governor of Abia State, Senator Orji Uzo Kalu, when he posited, in essence, that the aim of any political party is to win election and our reality in Nigeria is that no party can afford to put two (2) minorities on the same ticket, that Tinubu is a Muslim minority from the South and it will be a political suicide for him to take a minority Christian from the North.

 

“Although I understand the need to hide under the guise of ‘nation building’ by Rt. Hon. Dogara, in driving home the message of his disappointment and his being snubbed by Bola Tinubu in the choice of his running mate, but what I cannot still comprehend was the choice of a religious platform to send such political message.

 

“No wonder Karl Max refers to religion as the opium of the masses. It is obvious that if we just remove our political class, ordinary Nigerians will easily blend with one another irrespective of any existing dichotomy (Religion, Tribe, Region, State, Etc.), which tend to divide them today. Our problem over the years has remained that of divide and rule by our leaders at all levels.

 

To them, we are just nothing but important tools for their political accomplishment. Whenever they run out of other ideas on how to climb the political ladder, they simply turn to their most potent weapons, religion, tribe, etc. But as soon as there comes any political opportunity, they throw it away and feast with their perceived enemies in the same pot (the national treasury). They care less about the possibility of them overheating the polity for no reason once that served them right at the heat of their moments.

 

Although Mr. Former Speaker systematically removed himself from the position of authority in deploying the divisive technique in his keynote address to the Christian group that invited him, I believe he has succeeded in setting a tune to the summit that will in the end help his desire for nation building.

 

“He has succeeded in painting a very gloomy picture of irredeemability of our great country, as if making him the Vice President is the only missing link needed in nation building and once that is put in place our Nigeria will begin to fly straight to the eluded Promised Land. This kind of thinking is, to say the least, very lazy! 

 

“For sure the 2023 General Election will come and go but the consequences of what our politicians are doing today will live with us for generations yet unborn. Just as the wrongs of yesterday are what we are reaping today, it will do us a greater good if we turn to issue-based campaign.

 

“In the end when one considers the call made by Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, the former Speaker House of Representatives at the 8^th Assembly on Christians not to waste their Votes in 2023, one will still be forced to ask whether those Muslims in Dass, Tafawa Balewa, Bogoro Federal Constituency have been wasting their votes since 2007 to date by electing him or since 1999 thereby electing Christians to represent them in the National Assembly.

 

“It is on record that by 1999 when we returned to democracy, the first person to represent the Dass, Tafawa Balewa, Bogoro Federal Constituency in the National Assembly between 1999 – 2003 was Hon. Dauda Garba Bundot, a Christian from Dass Local Government Area.

 

“Again between 2003 – 2007, Hon. Seth Alhassan Karfe, another Christian from Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area, was elected. From 2007 – 2023, all other things being equal, it has been our amiable Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara who is also another Christian. However, he has successfully destroyed the seeming zoning arrangement of the constituency, if any.

 

“Although, the population of Muslims in the three (3) local government areas of the constituency is greater than that of their Christian counterparts, the reality is is the opposite. How then can we expect Nigeria to be different from what obtains in our micro communities?

      

“Finally, I will like to call on Hon. Yakubu Dogara to follow the spirit of his name and ‘Dogara ga Allah’ (i.e. leave everything to God), as it is clear that he is doing more harm than good to his hard earned political image and the reputation he cultivated in the last 16 years, especially in Bauchi State where despite the religious differences, he is highly revered as one of the most respected leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

 

“To us in MURIC, his political party is never an issue, but the future has a way of rewriting the result of the past. Nation Building did not begin with one person, Nigeria was there before all of us, it is here with us today and it will be there for our children tomorrow, it all depends on what we wish to bequeath to the next generation.”        

      

Barrister Idrees Safiyanu Gambo

Chairman,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC),  

Bauchi State Chapter

 

ZAMFARA KILLINGS, MURIC HAILS MEDIA, SLAMS CAN

 

25^th September, 2022

PRESS RELEASE:

ZAMFARA KILLINGS, MURIC HAILS MEDIA, SLAMS CAN

 

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has hailed the Nigerian media for properly reporting the killing of Muslims in Zamfara last Friday 23^rd September, 2022. However, the Islamic human rights organization slammed the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) for falsely claiming that it was only Christians that are being killed in Nigeria.

MURIC’s statement came on Sunday, 25^th September, 2022 via its director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

 

The statement reads :

 

“Terrorists invaded the Friday prayer mosque in Ruwan Jema town in Bukkuyum Local Government Area of Zamfara State Friday, 23^rd September, 2022 killing fifteen (15) and injuring forty eight (48) Muslim worshippers. The armed men hid their guns inside their clothes and pretended to be worshippers. They opened fire on innocent worshippers after entering the mosque.

 

“MURIC is particularly impressed by the manner in which the killing was reported. Unlike in the past when the killing of Muslims attract little or no media attention and mere casualty figures are given while the religion of the victims are deliberately left out, this time around, the Nigerian press really went to town with stories of the Zamfara killings and most media houses identified the victims as Muslims. This is quite laudable.

 

“The Media Monitoring Unit (MMU) of MURIC reported the use of the following captions in different media houses to describe the Zamfara killings (https://saharareporters.com/2022/09/24/breaking-scores-worshippers-killed-terrorists-attack-zamfara-mosque-during-jumaat; https://dailypost.ng/2022/09/24/bandits-invade-mosque-kill-15-worshippers-in-zamfara/; https://www.thecable.ng/15-worshippers-killed-as-bandits-attack-mosque-in-zamfara; https://muslimnews.com.ng/2022/09/25/terrorists-attack-zamfara-mosque-during-jumaat-prayer-kill-15-worshippers-turkiye-envoy-mourns/; https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/09/bandits-attack-zamfara-mosque-kill-15-worshippers-2/; https://pmnewsnigeria.com/2022/09/24/terrorists-shoot-15-worshippers-dead-in-zamfara-mosque/; https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2022/09/25/terrorists-invade-mosque-kill-15-worshippers-injure-others-in-zamfara/; https://punchng.com/bandits-attack-zamfara-mosque-gun-down-worshippers/; https://tribuneonlineng.com/gunmen-kill-15-worshippers-in-mosque-in-zamfara/; https://www.channelstv.com/2022/09/24/terrorists-attack-zamfara-mosque-kill-at-least-11/; https://thenationonlineng.net/bandits-invade-zamfara-mosque-kill-15-worshippers/)

Even some foreign media like Voice of America (VOA) and Reuters were not left out of the fair reportage (https://www.voanews.com/a/armed-bandits-kill-15-at-mosque-in-northwest-nigeria-residents-say-/6761811.html; https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/armed-bandits-kill-15-mosque-northwest-nigeria-residents-2022-09-24/; https://newscentral.africa/fifteen-killed-forty-eight-injured-as-bandits-ransack-zamfara-mosque/) We salute them all.   

“However, a few media houses need to be awake to the sensitivity of the revelation of identities when reporting incidents like this. It may not have been deliberate, but newsmen need to be conscious of the need not only to be fair but also to be seen to have been fair. At least one or two media houses left out the identity of the faith of the victims of the Zamfara killing (https://www.tvcnews.tv/2018/06/police-confirm-fresh-attack-in-zamfara-village-15-killed/; https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/265729-police-confirm-15-killed-in-zamfara-attack.html).

“Both the press and non-governmental organisations should be partners in progress. We cherish the emerging culture of equity, fairness and professionalism in reportage. Both Christians and Muslims deserve fair representation in media reports. This will promote peaceful coexistence among the different faiths.

 “The manner of reporting the Zamfara killings thus revealed the fact that it was Muslims that were killed and injured last Friday. We therefore wonder how the Christian Association of Nigeria arrived at its conclusion that only Christians were being killed in Nigeria and it tried to sell such a dangerous idea to the West, knowing it to be false.

“MURIC is constrained to ask CAN if the 15 worshippers killed and the 48 injured in Zamfara mosque last Friday were also Christians? What of the 200 worshippers killed and the 165 injured in Boko Haram’s bomb attack in Kano Central Mosque on 28^th November 2014 (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-30250950)? Were they also Christians? Do Christians attend Jumu’ah prayers in mosques?

“The intention and likely outcome of such vicious lies are not lost on us. America and its Western allies like Britain, France and Germany are likely to impose travel sanctions on Muslim leaders in government, label some Islamic organisations in Nigeria as terrorist groups, place some Islamic scholars on terror watch and begin a process of secret supply of weapons to Christian leaders and Nigerian churches.

“But the greatest benefit would have been a geometric increase in the pouring of monetary support in billions of dollars, euro and British pounds to Christian leaders and groups.

“MURIC condemns the killing of innocent Muslims who had only gone to the mosque for their Jumu’ah prayer last Friday. For the umpteenth time, we reiterate our stand that terrorists and bandits are not part of us. They belong to the evil circle of criminals. They are not part of the Muslim community.

“They are rebellious subjects and enemies of peace. Nobody, therefore, should associate them or their actions with the peace-loving and law-abiding Muslims of Nigeria. In the same vein, it will be naïve for any individual or group within or outside the country to link the actions of terrorists and bandits with the Nigerian government.

“We commiserate with Bello Matawalle, the governor of Zamfara, on the senseless killing of innocent citizens of his state. We pray that Allah will forgive the dead and grant the bereaved families the fortitude to bear the loss and the economic empowerment to take care of dependants left behind by their bread winners. Above all, we pray for peace in Zamfara, the entire North and the rest of Nigeria.”

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)

 

ADDRESS PETITION AGAINST PROSPECTIVE HIGH COURT JUDGE : MURIC TELLS CJN

 

23^rd September, 2022

PRESS RELEASE:

ADDRESS PETITION AGAINST PROSPECTIVE HIGH COURT JUDGE : MURIC TELLS CJN

 

An Islamic human rights advocacy group, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has called on the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Olukayode Ariwoola, to address a petition written against a prospective judge of the high court in Niger State. MURIC is demanding a swift consideration of the petition to determine whether or not it has merit.

MURIC spoke through its director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, on Friday, 23^rd September, 2022.

The statement reads:

“A petition dated 17^th March, 2022 and signed by one Ibrahim Shehu, a Nigerian citizen, against a prospective high court judge of Niger State, was submitted to the office of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and chairman National Judicial Council (NJC).

“Although the petition was stamped received at exactly 10.46 am on 18^th March, 2022 in the office of the CJN while at least two reminders have been submitted on 5^th and 25^th July, 2022, nothing has been heard by the petitioner since then.

“According to Ibrahim Shehu, the petitioner, the applicant claimed to have been born on 4^th April 1964 but he was actually born on 4^th April, 1962 based on what he submitted to the Nigeria Law School. The petitioner further revealed that the high court judge applicant was called to bar on 24^th January 1998.

“He argued that the inconsistency in the applicant’s documents has been responsible for his inability to tender his exemption certificate to his present employers. This, according to him, constitutes a clear violation of Section 3(D) 030301 and Section 4 (A) 030402 of the Federal Government of Nigeria Civil Service Rules and RULE FOUR (H) of the National Judicial Council Procedural Rules for Appointment of Judges in Nigeria. The petitioner therefore requested the NJC to thoroughly investigate the applicant and act accordingly.

“MURIC is of the strong opinion that those who dispense justice must be men and women of untainted integrity and high discipline. The high court is a hallowed chamber and only those who have credible pedigree must be allowed to sit in judgement there.

“If those who come to equity must come with clean hands, so must those who administer it. The judiciary is the last hope of the hoi polloi. That hope will become unending frustration if people of questionable character are allowed to sit on matters affecting the destiny of the citizenry. It is such judges who put up justice for sale in the hallowed chamber.

“Having provided substantial proof of impropriety in the applicant’s documents, we are of the strong opinion that the highly respected NJC should look at the merit or demerit of the petition and act swiftly and honourably. We must not wait until the black sheep smear the good name of the judiciary before weeding them out. NJC has a responsibility to ensure that no black sheep is allowed to join the judiciary.”

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)

 

ANAMBRA BAN ON MINI SKIRTS VINDICATES HIJAB STRUGGLE – MURIC

 

22^nd September, 2022

PRESS RELEASE:

ANAMBRA BAN ON MINI SKIRTS VINDICATES HIJAB STRUGGLE – MURIC   

 

Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra announced a ban on use of miniskirts by school girls in public and private schools on Monday, 19^th September, 2022. Meanwhile an Islamic human rights advocacy group, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has hailed the ban. MURIC argued that the ban is in consonance with the clamour for hijab by Muslim groups in Nigeria.

 

This was contained in a statement issued by the director of the human rights group, Professor Ishaq Akintola, late on Thursday, 22^nd September, 2022.

 

The statement reads:

 

“The governor of Anambra State, Dr. Charles Soludo announced a ban on use of miniskirts by school girls in public and private schools on Monday, 19^th September, 2022 (https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/09/anambra-bans-use-of-miniskirts-as-school-uniform-2/; https://pointblanknews.com/pbn/news/anambra-bans-miniskirts-in-private-public-schools/). We fully endorse this gesture. It is forward looking, dynamic and patriotic

 

.  

 

“This is one of the ways of knowing genuine statesmen as opposed to ordinary politicians whose eyes are only on the next election. Statesmen think of the nation whereas politicians think of the next election. Charles Soludo has elected the former and acted in the interest of the girl-child, morality and discipline.

 

“This is worthy of emulation by other state governors. There is no gainsaying the fact that the present school uniforms are inviting and provocative. They constitute a danger to school girls. We must protect the innocent girl-child from the prying eyes of sexually perversive men.

 

“The problem with our society and many parts of the world today is the contradictions in our lives. In one fell swoop we claim that we detest rape yet we encourage indecent dressing in form of body hugs, front and back cleavages and hot pants. Women now dress to kill yet we expect the victims to just die without lifting a finger. How realistic is this?

 

“The world is still battling HIV and AIDS yet we encourage the use of short and seductive skirts by school girls. Cleaners who work in school environments now pick more condoms in school premises than pieces of paper and we think we are doing the right thing.

 

“This is where the beauty of Islam lies. It has identified a major societal problem and recommended an effective solution for it. Islamic organisations in Nigeria who have been canvassing for the use of hijab in schools have been vindicated by Soludo’s eagle-eyed leadership. Soludo may not have been Nostradamus, the man who saw tomorrow, but he is sharp enough to see where the danger lies and bold enough to make a pronouncement on it. That is proactive leadership.

 

“Those who are still asking why Muslims are affirmative on the hijab question should ask Soludo what he saw in Anambra girls wearing short skirts to school. We have been vindicated.

 

“MURIC charges Nigerian Muslims to remain constant like the northern star. With the Supreme Court judgement, victory is closer to us than our jugular veins. Let us remain consistently consistent. We can see the light shining after a long period of darkness. The hijab question is a major milestone in the struggle for the liberation of Muslims from the shackles of feudalistic elitism, oppression, neo-colonialism and neo-imperialism in Nigeria. It is just a matter of time. We shall get there.”   

 

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)

 

MAINTAIN THE WINNING TEMPO : MURIC TELLS SECURITY AGENCIES

 

14^th September, 2022

PRESS RELEASE:

MAINTAIN THE WINNING TEMPO :

MURIC TELLS SECURITY AGENCIES

 

An Islamic human rights advocacy group, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has urged the security agencies to keep up the current tempo. The group observed that men of the Nigerian Army, the Police and the Department of State Services have turned on the heat on insurgents, kidnappers and other criminals in recent times thereby putting them on the run.

 

This was contained in a statement issued on Sunday, 18^th September, 2022, by the director of the organization, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

 

The statement reads :

 

“A new trend has emerged in the Nigerian security architecture. We have observed the new energy and change of strategy in the campaigns conducted by men of the Nigerian Army, the Police and the Department of State Services. They have turned on the heat on insurgents, kidnappers and other criminals in recent times thereby putting them on the run.

 

“We find it necessary to make our observation public in view of the tornado of criticisms directed at the Nigerian security agencies in the recent past. We expect those who lampooned the security agencies at that time to speak up now that the situation has improved. It is a moral obligation. Public analysts must not be selective if they want to be seen as objective.

 

“Latest reports confirm our findings that Nigerian security agencies have now gained the upper hand against hitherto marauding criminals. Just two days ago, gallant men of the Nigerian Police rescued two female kidnap victims in Kaduna (https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/09/police-rescue-2-female-kidnap-victims-in-kaduna/).

 

“Five days ago, exactly on 12^th September, 2022, police rescued three other kidnap victims and recovered stolen vehicles in the same Kaduna (https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2022/09/12/police-rescue-three-victims-of-kidnap-recover-vehicles-in-kaduna/). Two weeks ago, on 30^th August, 2022, 12 kidnap victims were rescued by the police in Zamfara State (https://punchng.com/police-rescue-12-kidnap-victims-in-zamfara/).

 

“Again on 21^st August, 2022, another two victims were rescued in Zamfara by the police (https://www.channelstv.com/2022/08/21/police-rescue-two-kidnap-victims-in-zamfara-2/) while the Katsina Police Command successfully rescued victims of a terrorist attack on Wapa village, Kurfi Local Government on 19^th August, 2022 (https://punchng.com/katsina-police-rescue-kidnap-victims/). The Nigerian Police performed the same feat in Kwara State on 17^th August, 2022 when they rescued four kidnap victims (https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2022/08/17/police-rescue-four-kidnapped-victims-in-kwara/).

 

“In the same vein, troops have neutralized hundreds of insurgents and bandits in several parts of the North while the air force have turned life into hell and made it difficult for them to mobilise. Criminals who used to assemble openly for their nefarious activities have now been forced to take cover under the trees from where ground troops smoke them out.

 

“Gallant Nigerian soldiers have taken the battle to the hideouts of criminals and they are getting results. This outcome has led to optimism among residents of Northern communities (https://www.sunnewsonline.com/northwest-residents-celebrate-improved-security-situation-caution-against-relapse/). The pressure is so much on the criminals that they are now surrendering in droves. No fewer than 24,000 terrorists have surrendered in the North East alone. (https://businessday.ng/news/article/24000-terrorists-surrender-to-nigerian-troops-in-north-east-dhq/).

 

“Nigeria’s motor parks are now filled with people going by road to Abuja from Kaduna, from Abuja to Lagos, Lagos to Port Harcourt, etc. Our roads have become safe again courtesy of our gallant security agents.

 

“We will say it for the umpteenth time, Nigerians should desist from demarketing their country. We have no other. The same Nigeria that some unpatriotic elements are deriding has been so attractive to some British, Italian, and other foreigners that about 286 of them recently applied to naturalise and they became Nigerian citizens (https://punchng.com/286-britons-lebanese-italians-others-get-nigerian-citizenship/). We must not lose sight of the greatness of our country.

 

“MURIC gives kudos to our gallant troops. We salute men of the Nigeria Police and those of the Department of State Security (DSS) who feed others with intelligence upon which they build their onslaughts. We urge them all to sustain the tempo. We must give criminals no breathing space.”

 

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)