IMMUNITY FOR NASS LEADERS: WE SMELL A RAT

13^th July, 2016

PRESS RELEASE:

IMMUNITY FOR NASS LEADERS:

WE SMELL A RAT

(Corrected version)

There was pandemonium in the House of Representatives yesterday when members debated a bill seeking to amend Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution which confers immunity on the executive arm of the Nigerian government. The sponsor of the bill is proposing immunity for leaders and principal officers of the House.

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) rejects this attempt to shield lawmakers from the law made by them. It is despicable, outrageous and preposterous. Simply put, it is legislative rascality. This legislature will go down in history as the most controversial, most self-centered and most unproductive.

Coming at a time when the leadership of the National Assembly (NASS) is facing court trial over criminal charges, the timing of the bill is not only suspect, it is also infantile and provocative. The proposed bill is self-serving and politically motivated. Its authors seek to gain from the bend what they could not get from the straight. This bill belongs to the dustbin of history.

The NASS is taking Nigerians for a ride. We will not allow that to happen. The proposed bill is a reactionary measure. It is designed to take Nigeria back to the Stone Age. Bothered by the concentration of too much power being wielded by presidents, democracies around the world are seeking to remove immunity even from the executive.

The supreme court of Guatemala successfully stripped its president of immunity in September 2015. How can Nigerian legislators turn themselves into tin gods at a time like this? It had better not be. Whoever wants to enjoy the immunity clause should go to his state and contest for governorship.

We are aware that in the year 2013 a committee of the same House recommended the expunging of the immunity clause for the president and his vice in order to check executive lawlessness. What happened between then and now? How can the present House confer immunity on those who hitherto did not enjoy it? We smell a rat.

It is a calculated assault on two of the basic principles of democracy, namely, probity and accountability. The masses are being skinned alive. First, we cannot hold the executive arm of government accountable until after the end of its tenure and now, the legislature wants to dig in deep. It is not only daylight robbery but also an attempt to subject the citizenry to the tyranny of Draconian legislation. Those who make the law must submit themselves to the same law. Only thus can they have a taste of the pudding.

The refusal of the Speaker of the House to subject the bill to a voice vote is undemocratic and most condemnable. Honourable Dogara wants to turn Nigeria into a huge Animal Farm where all animals are equal but some are more equal than others.

The conduct of some of the members of Senate is equally disgraceful. The alleged use of vulgar language by Senator Dino Melaye and his alleged threat to beat up a female colleague in the House is most unbecoming of the status of a parliamentarian and a distinguished senator for that matter. His belligerence constitutes a threat to the continued involvement of Nigerian women in politics.

MURIC calls on female politicians and feminists across the country to speak up on this unprovoked assault on womanhood. The Senate President must call Melaye to order. In addition, female members in the NASS must insist on getting an apology from Melaye.

To sum up, we charge the House of Representatives to throw out the self-serving and politically motivated bill. We urge Nigerian lawmakers to avoid widening the disconnect between them and the electorate, desist from unnecessary confrontation with the executive and adhere to international best practices in parliamentary matters.       

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

CORRUPTION: LEARN FROM OTHER COUNTRIES

11^th July, 2016

PRESS RELEASE:

CORRUPTION: LEARN FROM OTHER COUNTRIES

 

Although the current war against corruption is sanitizing the military as an institution and compelling politicians to adopt transparency, dark clouds continue to gather in the horizon as allegations of vendetta and lopsidedness are being leveled against President Muhammadu Buhari.      

We of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) dismiss these allegations as attempts to blackmail the president. The aim is to force him to soft-pedal or halt the ongoing trials of powerful politicians thereby giving corruption undeserved victory. We insist that the trials must continue to a logical conclusion. The law must be allowed to take its due course. Any goat that desires freedom or peace must keep the people’s yam at arm’s length.

Alleging vendetta or lopsidedness is just like ignoring the tangential to address the phenomenal. The question Nigerians should be asking is: were the offences committed? The offender’s political party, his religion or tribe should be ignored once this has been established. What we need to face is the substance in the allegation and not shadows or primordial sentiments.

There is an urgent need to learn from other countries. How were they able to stem the tide of corruption? Did they revert to claims of vendetta, partisanship, ethnicity or religion? Did they defend the thief because he comes from their city or state? Did they defend the indefensible? Let us look at a few examples.

In the United States, Robert McDonnell, former Governor of Virginia, was indicted on charges of accepting illegal gifts and convicted in 2014. John Rowland, former governor of Connecticut, spent ten months in jail in 2004 for diverting public funds to pay for his vacations and other extravagances. Alabama governor, Don Siegleman, bagged an 88-month jail term for mail fraud and obstruction of justice in 2006. Ex-Congressman Frank Balance was sentenced to four years in prison on October 12, 2005 for conspiring to defraud taxpayers.

In Britain, David Chaitor, former member of the British parliament, got 18 months in 2011 for false accounting. In Greece, former defence minister, Akis Tsochatzopoulos was jailed for 20 years in 2001for receiving bribe. The court also jailed his wife, Vicky, and daughter, Areti, for 12 years each. His former wife, Gudrun, was sent to prison for six years. In Ukraine, former president Yulia Tymoshenko was sentenced to seven years imprisonment in 2011. In China, former security chief Zhou Yongkang, was recently sentenced to life in prison for bribery and abuse of power.

In all the above examples from the United States, Britain, Greece, Ukraine and China, nobody raised the issue of vendetta, vindictiveness, ethnicity or religion. The concern of all was whether or not the crime was committed. The focus was to safeguard the national treasury. The offenders were punished. Other public office holders and the rest of the citizens learnt the rules of probity and accountability and the countries moved on to greatness.

But in Nigeria political parties allege vendetta and lopsidedness. Agents of corrupt politicians, members of their families, people from their states and those who benefit from stolen funds are allowed to have a field day. This is not the road to El Dorado. We must face the war against corruption squarely and shun partisanship, ethnicity, religion and self-interest. Our focus must be our country and how to move it forward. Let us ignore the thief’s tribe and religion. Let us look at the crimes committed by them against the masses. Let corrupt politicians go to jail and stop using lame excuses to defend them.

A socio-economic scenario whereby 1% of the Nigerian population has arrogated 85% of the resources to themselves leaving a paltry 15% to the remaining 99% of the population is unacceptable. It is serfdom. It is economic deprivation.   It has caused stampede among the poor. 99% of the Nigerian population runs after 15% of the nation’s wealth. It has caused acute poverty. Corrupt politicians have siphoned away all the milk and honey in the land. We must stop defending them.

How can a single military officer store billions of naira in a water tank in his private house? How do we explain a single woman using stolen public funds to purchase a whole ship (an oil tanker for that matter)? Where is the conscience of a state governor who siphoned about N1.6 billion within six months of getting into office and uses this fund to amass personal properties via fronts.

How can any civilized citizenry overlook the crime of army generals who allowed the massacre of thousands by Boko Haram by pocketing billions of naira meant for fighting the insurgency? So what is there to defend in the face of indubitable evidence and admissions of guilt in many cases?

As we round up, we charge the international community to ignore the false alarm being raised by the opposition party in Nigeria. The claim of vendetta and lopsidedness in the war against corruption in Nigeria is baseless. It is a war against ‘fantastically’ corrupt leaders.

We call on Nigerians to learn from other countries and to eschew partisanship, ethnicity and religion in the war against corruption.

This is the time to renew support for the war against corruption. There lies the survival of future generations of Nigerians. This country is doomed if we allow corruption to defeat transparency.

Finally, we appeal to the press, columnists, civil society and opinion leaders to remain focused and avoid the company of corrupt politicians. Looters are influential people and they are capable of exploiting the widespread poverty (caused by them ab initio) to buy publications, sponsor articles and influence opinions. The masses are watching and the integrity of the press is at stake here.

For the sake of Nigeria, therefore, let us resist the ephemeral temptations offered by these heartless plunderers. Let us unite against the monster called corruption and speak with one voice. A people united can never be defeated.

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

IDUL FITR MESSAGE: NIGERIANS ARE HUNGRY

4^th July, 2016,

IDUL FITR MESSAGE:

NIGERIANS ARE HUNGRY

About 1.5 billion Muslims all over the world will be celebrating the Id al-Fitr within the next 48 hours. Id al-Fitr is the festival which marks the end of Ramadan. Already the Federal Government of Nigeria (FG) has declared tomorrow Tuesday (5^th July) and Wednesday (6^th July) as holidays.      

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) felicitates with the President General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Muhammad Sa‘ad Abubakar III, Nigerian Muslims and all Nigerian citizens on this memorable occasion.  

We seize the opportunity availed by this festival to appreciate the efforts being made by the FG to reduce hardship among the citizens in these austere times. In particular, we thank FG for its free lunch programme for all school pupils, its reduction of waste in government establishments and its war on corruption.

Nonetheless, MURIC calls the attention of the Federal Government to the rising poverty and hardship among the populace. The signposts are scary.

Just a few days ago, a family man exchanged his 5 year old son for a bag of rice for which he could not pay at Singer Market in Fagge Local Government area of Kano State. Media reports say that theft of food being cooked on fire is now rampant in Ilorin.

A teacher stole gari in Oshogbo. Also a few weeks ago, a soldier shot a policeman in the leg while both of them were struggling for rice in Maiduguri. People are selling their properties to feed their families. Most state governments can no longer pay salaries. Many civil servants are taking to begging.

Cooking smoke has not been seen from the chimney of many houses for days. Most text messages nowadays solicit for ridiculously little amounts of money for feeding. Most Muslims found it easy to fast this year because they had been used to hunger for months. Nigeria is drying up.

We are fully aware that the present administration is not to blame for Nigeria’s current woes. Past regimes had not only failed to save for the rainy day, they had also manifested unparalleled greed, monumental avarice, reckless waste and unbridled corruption.

We remind the FG that Islam advocates tangible support and palpable palliatives for the suffering jamaaheer (masses). Muhammad the Prophet of Mercy (SAW) said, “A man who fills his own stomach but ignores his hungry neighbour is not a good Muslim”. He also said, “Be merciful to those on earth and He who is in heaven will be merciful to you”.

MURIC therefore suggests that apart from the free lunch for school pupils, the FG should introduce the following welfare packages:

1.  One meal per day for all men and women above 60 years old (senior citizens);

2.  Free lunch for all civil servants and school teachers wherever salaries have not been paid for at least two months and

3.  Sale of food items and provisions to civil servants and teachers at subsidized rates.  

To round up, we charge Nigerians to be their brothers’ keepers. Orphans, widows and little children should be singled out for acts of philanthropy. Nigerians are urged to sustain the lessons of Ramadan among which piety, patience, self-restraint and perseverance are most prominent. There is no gainsaying the fact that support for the FG’s war on corruption and patience in the face of the raging poverty are the first steps towards ensuring the sustenance of these lessons.

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

HIJAB IMBROGLIO: SOYINKA GOOFED

29^th June, 2016,

PRESS RELEASE:

  HIJAB IMBROGLIO: SOYINKA GOOFED

Professor Wole Soyinka on Sunday 26^th June 2016 waded into the hijab controversy in the State of Osun. In an article titled ‘To Everything, Its Place’, the much respected Nobel Laureate descended heavily on Muslims for daring to seek approval for the use of hijab.

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) is fully aware of Soyinka’s great contribution to the attainment of democratic rule which we are all enjoying in Nigeria today. We also acknowledge his role in the uplifting of Nigeria’s image particularly in the circle of intellectuals worldwide.

Nonetheless, we are amused that our intellectual guru deployed all the Weapons of Faith Destruction (WFD) in his arsenal to his Islam-bashing combat field but saw nothing wrong with the way leaders of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Osun chapter incited Christian students in their rejection of the court judgemnet which was favourable to the Muslims.   

Nothing was said about CAN’s gross disrespect for the rule of law. Could he have forgotten that CAN’s attitude constitutes serious threat to democracy and the rule of law which Soyinka himself fought hard to enthrone?

Professor  Soyinka contended that the issue of hijab was never raised “for several decades” after independence and assumed that the Christian uniform is the conventional or, in his own words ‘common dress code’. We beg to disagree sir. We assert that the revered Nobel Laureate is not only taking too much for granted but also taking liberty for license.

MURIC affirms that Professor Soyinka still needs to do his homework very well before going to press. Contrary to his claim that hijab was not mentioned for decades, Muslims in Yorubaland have been agitating for civil rights right from independence and the files of governments at both federal and state levels are full of petitions forwarded on issues of the Allah-given fundamental rights of Muslims.

Those petitions were repeatedly submitted on a regular basis by Muslim communities and Islamic organizations. Of course Soyinka is not expected to know this but it goes to show the limitations of human knowledge even among nobel laureates.

To assume that the current school uniform used in public schools should be the dress code is to commit gross injustice to a large section of the populace. We have heard activists complaining that the authors of the Nigerian constitution did not consult the Nigerian people before writing it yet they ‘fraudulently’ claimed that “We, the Nigerian people…”

The colonialists committed the same fraud against Nigerian Muslims when they replaced Islamic landmarks with Christo-British practices and this includes the school uniform. Islam was in Nigeria for 800 years and in Yorubaland for 200 years before the advent of Christianity but British sense of fairness could not go beyond uprooting what it met on ground.

Islamic schools in Lagos alone were more than fifty by the year 1775 and they used hijab as part of their uniform. This was long before the arrival of the British in Nigeria and the advent of Western schools with their Christian school uniform. What was imposed by colonial fiat cannot be called ‘common dress code’ by any common sense.      

Let us reiterate for the umpteenth time and for the avoidance of doubts that to us as Muslims the present uniform is Christian uniform unless Soyinka can convince us that the British were not Christians. Justice, equity and fairness demands that this should have been revisited immediately after independence.

Yet what the Muslims are asking for is not more than a slight adjustment from the head to the bosom to be made of the same stuff and colour with the school uniform. We are not asking for any different uniform for Muslim students who are males. It is only for the girls.

Professor Wole Soyinka sir, with all due respect, you are well known for your atheistic propensities and you do not hide it. We respect you for that. But you cannot sit in judgement over religious matters since you do not believe in religion. You cannot give what you do not have. We even expected that you would ask both Christians and Muslims in Yorubaland to go back to their culture thereby using ‘buba, sokoto, iro, gele and iborun’. MURIC would have welcomed such a suggestion because all we want is decent dresses for our daughters. 

Soyinka’s vilification of Nigerian Muslims is legendary. It would have been normal if he had once taken up the Christian folks but we cannot remember when last he did that. We also cannot forget so soon how he lampooned the late Dr. Lateef Adegbite (leader of Yoruba Muslims) severally during his life time. This lopsided trend is quite disturbing because we see it as deliberate. A little balancing will give more credibility to our revered Nobel Laureate. 

It is high time Professor Soyinka picked another pastime instead of bullying Muslims. The way Soyinka and Femi Falana took up the Ese Oruru brouhaha earlier this year was astounding. The prejudice was crystal clear. Whereas CAN was the first to raise the issue of religion in the matter by pointing accusing fingers at Nigerian Muslims and MURIC merely reacted, Soyinka and Falana called a press conference just because of MURIC. It was an unprecedented albeit unnecessary bullying. They lambasted MURIC for “turning a personal issue into a religious one”. We simply ignored the duo at the time to avoid heating up the polity.  

On a final note, we assure Professor Wole Soyinka of our greatest regard for his person. However, we advise him to commence a balancing reengineering of his views about Muslims. We are not asking him not to criticize us, but he needs to balance it sometimes if not all the time. His credibility will be greatly shaken if he continues to bully and vilify Muslims. If Soyinka really believes in his ‘To Everything, Its Place’, we most respectfully remind him that ‘To every group, its due.’

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