RAMADAN MESSAGE: PRAY FOR LEAH SHARIBU, CHIBOK GIRLS, PEACE & SECURITY

6^th May, 2019

RAMADAN MESSAGE:

PRAY FOR LEAH SHARIBU, CHIBOK GIRLS,

PEACE & SECURITY

Nigerian Muslims joined their counterparts all over the world in commencing this year’s Ramadan fast on Monday 6^th May, 2019. The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, announced the sighting of the Ramadan crescent on Monday evening. 

Meanwhile the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has felicitated with the Sultan of Sokoto and leaders of all Islamic organisations in the country. MURIC also congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari and all state governors for witnessing the commencement of the month of Ramadan.

In a press statement issued on Monday, 6^th May, 2019, the Islamic human rights organization called on Nigerian Muslims to seize the opportunity of the holy month and the spiritual power which Allah has endowed fasting Muslims to supplicate for the freedom of Christian girls like Leah Sharibu and the Chibok girls who are still in the hands of Boko Haram. The statement was signed by Professor Ishaq Akintola, Founder and Director of the organization.

“We must admit that the continued stay of Leah Sharibu and the Chibok girls in Boko Haram’s detention camp is a dark spot on Nigeria’s white linen.

“Whereas the Federal Government (FG), the Muslim Ummah and its leadership desire freedom for those innocent girls, the insurgents are keeping them in captivity in order to achieve their diabolical aims, namely, to embarrass FG, to use them as human shields, to boost their negotiation power and to use them as a tool for setting Nigerian Christians and their Muslim compatriots against each other.

“The overall objective of Boko Haram is to ignite a religious war. That was why they started attacking places of worship. It was when that ploy failed that they resorted to abducting Christian girls with the hope of provoking Christiandom. This is why Nigeria’s religious leaders must exercise extra patience. They must not play into the hands of the insurgents. They must refrain from emotional outbursts. Instead, they must sink their differences and come together in the name of humanity to fight the evil in their midst. We reiterate that terrorists have no religion.

“This is why Nigerian Muslims must use prayers to defeat the enemy and secure freedom for our daughters. We feel their absence in our midst. We feel the pain of their closest relations. Our hearts go out to them wherever they may be. Prayer is the sword of the believer and a family that fasts together evolves and retains an unbreakable spiritual bond. Nigerian Muslims must invoke the incomparable spiritual might of Ramadan to neutralize the supposedly invincible power of Boko Haram to set Leah Sharibu and the Chibok girls free.”

MURIC also called for prayers for peace, security, political stability and economic buoyance for Nigeria.  

 “Furthermore, we must use that special spiritual power of Ramadan to crush all powers of darkness and all agents of evil who are behind the incessant killings and kidnappings in Nigeria. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, ‘When Ramadan comes, Shaytan is put in chains’. It is high time Nigerian Muslims utilized this Islamic truism to destroy killers and kidnappers.

“Before we stop hitting the keyboard, we call on fasting Muslims to make freedom for Leah Sharibu and the Chibok girls their prayer points during this Ramadan. Pray that Nigeria is emancipated from ruthless killers and kidnappers. Pray for the exposure of rebellious subjects and enemies of peace. Pray for total security. Pray also for economic buoyancy and political stability”.

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)

ZAYNAB ALIYU & LEAH SHARIBU: CAN GOT IT WRONG

3^rd May, 2019

PRESS RELEASE:

ZAYNAB ALIYU & LEAH SHARIBU: CAN GOT IT WRONG

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) two days ago compared Zaynab Aliyu who was released by the Saudi Arabia authorities to Leah Sharibu who is still in Boko Haram captivity. Zaynab was arrested in Saudi Arabia after illicit drugs were found in her luggage. CAN used the comparison to demand equal treatment of citizens in captivity by the Federal Government.

Commenting on this development, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has faulted CAN’s stand. The human rights organization made its opinion known in a press statement issued on Friday 3^rd May, 2019 by its Founder and Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

“CAN got it wrong”, MURIC insisted. “There is no basis for comparing the two. Firstly, Leah Sharibu is a completely innocent Nigerian citizen who was criminally abducted by terrorists while Zaynab Aliyu was, until recently, a drug suspect apprehended by the security agencies of another sovereign country acting under the laws of their land.

“Secondly, what is needed to set Leah free is totally different from what is required to secure Zaynab’s freedom. It is like comparing the case of a kidnapped person to that of another who is in police detention. You cannot compare civilized authority to the rule of hoodlums. The law was allowed to take its course in Zaynab’s case whereas an entirely different scenario is playing out in Leah’s matter because terrorists recognize no national or international law.

“It is therefore most uncharitable for CAN to ignore these facts. It would have been a different thing entirely if FG had intervened in Zaynab’s case even before the exposure of the drug-planting cartel at the Nigerian airport. Again, it would also have been criminal abdication of responsibility if FG had failed to intervene after the new evidence emerged.

“CAN’s question, ‘Are all Nigerians equal or some are more equal than others?’ is therefore uncalled for unless CAN can convince us that kidnappers who forcefully abduct innocent people are equal to policemen who detain suspects for what they believe is illegal or judges who send criminals to jail. CAN’s question is not semantics. It is mischief pure and simple. CAN should stop playing on the emotion of gullible Nigerians.

“CAN should at least appreciate FG’s worries and concerns about Leah Sharibu’s safety and its open and subterranean manouvres to liberate her. We have no doubt that the leadership of CAN is not unaware of the intricate issues involved plus a thousand and one raison d’etre why government cannot reveal everything it is doing to secure the innocent girl’s freedom.

“MURIC commends FG for promptly intervening in the case of Zaynab Aliyu. We also appreciate the efforts made so far to secure Leah Sharibu’s freedom. We urge FG to do more in this regard. Everyday spent by Leah in the terrorist’s den is another day in the diary of Nigeria’s tragedies.

“We call on FG to spread its dragnet to all airports within the country with the hope that the drug-planting cartel are likely to exist in other airports as well. Those caught should be dealt with decisively to serve as deterrent to others. In addition, the Zaynab Aliyu treatment should not be limited to Saudi Arabia. It should be extended to other countries, particularly Europe and Asia where many Nigerians are languishing in jail or awaiting execution. The innocent ones should be saved.   FG should also ensure that CCTV cameras are installed in all our airports in order to monitor the activities of criminals.

“As a parting shot, we advise CAN to always take the pain to objectively and analytically examine issues before making allegations. This latest insinuation is pregnant with malice, devoid of charity and loaded with bad faith”.

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)

SRI LANKA: MURIC REJECTS REVENGE IDEOLOGY

29^th April, 2019

PRESS RELEASE:

SRI LANKA: MURIC REJECTS REVENGE IDEOLOGY

More than 321 deaths have been reported in the multiple bombing of churches and hotels in Sri Lanka during the Easter holidays. The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), an extremist group, has allegedly claimed responsibility for the attacks.       

In a related development, a Nigerian human rights organization, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has rejected the extremist group’s ideology of revenge. This was made known in a statement signed by its Founder and Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, on Monday 29^th April, 2019.

“For the umpteenth time, we reiterate our condemnation of terrorism and all forms of violence as a means of seeking redress. Violence is a square peg while peace is a round hole. Seekers of justice must not resort to violence lest they err. Neither can avengers have peace of mind because revenge, by its very nature, is a vicious cycle. The solution to the world’s problems lies in dialogue, mutual respect, tolerance, forgiveness and love.   

“We reject religious demagogues who instruct us to kill people of other faiths. We debunk the parochial philosophy of merchants of death who tell us to kill Westerners. We assert clearly, categorically and unequivocally that Islam is a religion of peace, not a creed of violence. Islam gives life, not death. It gives hope, not suicide-motivating frustration. Islam promotes co-existence among the various components of humanity regardless of their religious leanings.

“We further contend that as an integral part of compos mentis homo sapiens, Muslims have no right to kill any follower of other faiths any more than members of other faiths have any right to kill Muslims. To believe otherwise is to succumb to the Hobbesian theory of nature where man is seen as a selfish and dangerous brute. This is what the killers in New Zealand and Sri Lanka have done. They have become unsolicited ideologues of the Darwinian theory of survival of the fittest.

“Contrary to this barbaric mentality, Islam invites mankind to rational thinking and respect for human life. The Glorious Qur’an forbids the shedding of human blood (5:161). It compares a man who kills a single person to one who destroyed the whole of humanity while another who saves a single life is compared to one who gave life to all mankind (5:32).

The Glorious Qur’an has also rubbished the rationale for the vengeful killings in New Zealand and Sri Lanka by describing goodness and evil as incomparable and by commanding Muslims to repay evil with goodness (41:34). Nothing in the teachings and actions of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) encourages tit-for-tat.

“The Prophet said, ‘Do not engage in violence. Embrace peace’. At the point of victory, he forbade the killing of those who had killed Muslims. He decreed that all those who had subjected Muslims to torture, harassment and intimidation in Makkah should be forgiven.

To conclude this advocacy of non-vengeance, we appeal to all individuals and groups engaging in violence to embrace peace. We charge all believers in the Supreme Creator to learn to respect the sanctity of life, to court the art of forgiveness and to woo the value of tolerance. But above all, we invite the West to give world peace a vital shot in the arm by halting its pro-Israel and anti-Muslim agendum and to desist from its tortuous policy of divide et impera. We urge Nigerians to promote peace, to forgive, tolerate and love one another”.      

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)

MURIC TO NCEF: ALLOW PEACE TO REIGN

23^rd April, 2019

PRESS RELEASE:

MURIC TO NCEF: ALLOW PEACE TO REIGN

The Northern Christian Elders Forum (NCEF) has described the conviction of the former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Walter Onnoghen, by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) as part of the jihad against Christians in the country. NCEF made this allegation in a statement signed by its chairman, Chief Solomon Asemota (SAN) on Friday 19^th April, 2019.

However, the Islamic human rights organization, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has rejected NCEF’s allegation. This was contained in a statement signed by the Founder and Director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola, on Tuesday, 23^rd April, 2019.

“We are still wondering about what happened to NCEF. This is a group of elders who, ceteris paribus, should know better and, consequently, contribute positively to the national discuss. But we are perturbed by its pedestrian outbursts.

“We find it hard to believe that General Yakubu Gowon in particular, a former head of state, will belong to a group that stands logic on its head and twists the facts of history. How did the overthrow of Gowon in 1975 constitute a jihad? This is a most irrational claim. 

“Our people say when a child rejects evening pounded yam, his parents will narrate to him the story of his mother’s marriage. But what do we say about elders who falsify facts? We must beckon on historians to bail us out.

“For the avoidance of doubts, Gowon was toppled on 29 July, 1975 for reneging on his promise to end military rule in 1976. The spate of protests against his U-turn especially by university students showed how unpopular his procrastination had become. It also led to the closing of some higher institutions.  

“Gowon had fallen in love with power and was not ready to leave even after spending ten years (1966 – 1975). Nigerians may be passive on misrule and parliamentary idiosyncracies but they have never been silent over tenure elongation. The inglorious third term agenda is a good example.

“Gowon got his fingers burnt for seeking to tow the path of sit-tight African rulers like Hosni Mubarak of Egypt who spent 30 years in office (1981 – 2011) and Muammar Gaddafi of Libya who spent 42 years (1969 – 2011). It is a great disservice to history for NCEF to seek to distort the events which led to the toppling of Gowon.

“As it turned out, many of the drammatis personae in the anti-Gowon post-coup events were Christians. Joe Namvan Garba was made commander of the Elite Guards Brigade, Mathew Obasanjo was named chief of staff at supreme headquarters, Theophilus Y. Danjuma became chief of army staff, Commodore Michael Adelanwa, chief of naval staff and John Issa Duku, chief of air staff. The last time we checked, Joe, Mathew, Theophilus, Michael and John were all Christian names. So, was it Joe Garba or Mathew Obasanjo who was pushing Buhari’s jihad agenda?  

“Again, NCEF claimed that Buhari overthrew Shagari in 1983 and retired Justice Taslim Elias, a Muslim, to Islamise Nigeria by replacing a Federal Republic with a Sultanate. What sense does this make for crying out loud? Both Shagari and Taslim Elias were Muslims and why would Buhari remove them if he intended to Islamise the country? 

“The most arbitrary claim of the group has to do with the removal of the suspended CJN. NCEF claimed the removal of Onnoghen is a continuation of stealth jihad which began with the coup against Gowon. It is as ludicrous as it is infantile.

“Perhaps NCEF is also suggesting that the National Judicial Council (NJC) which found Onnoghen guilty of the charges leveled against him is engaging in jihad. When will NCEF stop seeing religion in every big or little thing? Why should the Onnoghen issue be turned into religious blackmail?

“Members of NCEF need to be circumspect and careful in their utterances. If we are not careful, reckless statements like this could prepare grounds for genocide. We need to take lessons from Rwanda and we may not have a Kigame to heal the wounds that are direct consequences of such conflict. 

“Muslims did not call it a Christian crusade when ex-President Jonathan removed the CBN governor (now Emir of Kano) unceremoniously. Neither did they start appealing to religious sentiment when the same Jonathan sacked Justice Salami.

“Again, for want of anything else to say, NCEF blamed the problems of Nigeria on the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern regions. We must ask NCEF who should be blamed for the amalgamation. Was it done by the Sultanate or the Fulanis? The British colonial masters amalgamated the North and South. NCEF should direct its protest letter to No. 10, Downing Street.

“Elders are expected to possess the wisdom to solve problems, not the flair for rabble-rousing. It is high time NCEF accepted this common destiny and settled down. We are bewildered that elders of a religious group whose scripture is filled with wise sermons have elected to behave contrary to the teachings. NCEF members are mere hearers of the word of God, not doers (James 1:23).

“It is didactic to note that the umbrella body of all Nigerian Christians, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has already disowned NCEF. That alone is enough to compel us to ignore the group but for the need to put records straight.

“That development becomes more instructive when considered against the background of the visit of Paul and Barnabas to the elders in Jerusalem for consultation ((Acts 15:2). Instead of consulting NCEF, CAN dissociates itself from the Northern elders. It speaks volumes. Impertinence sometimes creates distance.

“Was this not on Peter’s mind when he advised church elders “not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock”? (I Peter 5:3). Members of the NCEF should not tarry until Nigerians start sending anti-senility drugs to them before they take CAN’s advice.

“On a final note, we affirm that what Nigeria needs now is a peaceful environment. There can be no meaningful development without peace and stability. Let us stop heating the polity. Nigerian Muslims have no Islamisation agenda. We are willing to peacefully coexist with both Christians and traditionalists as neighbours and on equal terms.    

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)

MURIC HAILS TRIBUNAL FOR CONVICTING ONNOGHEN

18^th April, 2019

PRESS RELEASE:

MURIC HAILS TRIBUNAL FOR CONVICTING ONNOGHEN

An Islamic human rights organization, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has hailed the conviction of the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Walter Onnoghen. The suspended CJN was pronounced guilty this afternoon Thursday 18^th April, 2019 by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) headed by Danladi Umar. Onnoghen was accused of making false assets declaration.

MURIC’s endorsement of the tribunal’s ruling came in a press statement dated 18^th April, 2019 and signed by its Founder and Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.  

“This conviction will serve as a lesson for other judges who are tempted to tow the same line with Onnoghen. There must be a clear distinction between the temple of justice and the stock exchange market while the homes of judges must not, at any point in time, be mistaken for the bureau de change.  

“For the noble profession to maintain its dignity, judges must not envy business tycoons in their quest for the accumulation of wealth. The glory of a judge resides in his aloofness from merchandise, his noble carriage and his comportment with self-satisfaction.

 

The group blamed the suspended CJN for grandstanding when he could have made the best of the time by resigning when the presidency asked him to do so more than three months ago.  

“As for the letter of resignation submitted by Onnoghen about two weeks ago, had it been early had been relevant, but it had been delayed and trivialized until the NJC’s indictment. It is our contention that this expensive procrastination has ‘stolen’ time from the purported resignation and rendered it an exercise in futility.

“Just as the presidency was constrained to suspend Walter Onnoghen after the tribunal issued an order three months ago, the hands of the presidency are now tied by the pronouncement of guilt by the same tribunal. President Muhammadu Buhari is not known to interfere in the functions of other arms of government. He has demonstrated this trait several times and the Onnoghen affair must not be different. Consistency also demands that he is bound to obey the terms of the conviction in the same manner that he obeyed the tribunal’s first ruling on suspension.

“President Muhammadu Buhari may not want to tamper with the CCT ruling that Onnoghen must be removed from office, forfeit funds found in the five accounts and banned from holding public office for the next ten years.

“MURIC lauds the chairman of the CCT, Danladi Umar, for his uncommon courage and consistency. In the same vein, President Muhammadu Buhari deserves accolades for his doggedness in the war against corruption. He will go down in history as the first Nigerian president to dock a chief justice of the federation.

The human rights group also called on President Buhari to immediately swear in the Acting CJN, Muhammad Tanko.

“In view of the clean bill which the Nigerian Judicial Council (NJC) gave the Acting CJN coupled with today’s conviction of the suspended CJN by the CCT, MURIC hereby urges President Muhammadu Buhari to set the machinery in motion for the swearing in of the Acting CJN as the substantive Chief Justice of Nigeria with immediate effect. Nature hates vacuum.

“As a parting shot, we reiterate for the umpteenth time that the Federal Government must immediately institute a thorough reform of the nation’s judiciary. The war against corruption cannot succeed until Nigerians can beat their chests about the trustworthiness of their judges”.

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)

PARADE JAMB’S PROFESSIONAL WRITERS

18^th April, 2019

PRESS RELEASE:

PARADE JAMB’S PROFESSIONAL WRITERS     

The Joint Admissions Matriculations Board (JAMB) has announced the arrest of over 100 professional examination writers during this year’s (2019) examinations. The suspects include two biological children of the owner of an accredited Computer Based Test (CBT) center in Lagos.

In its own reaction, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), a puritanist human rights organisation has called on the Nigerian Police to parade the professional examination writers. MURIC made the declaration in a press statement signed on Thursday, 18^th April, 2019, by its Founder and Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

“The arrest of these professional examination writers is an eye-opener. It confirms what we have been saying for several years. The phenomenon of the lazy Nigerian youth is no longer a myth. Many people wanted to crucify President Muhammadu Buhari when he used that phrase some months ago. But we can all see now.

“Whereas Nigeria is blessed with many hardworking youngsters, there exists many black sheep who tarnish the image of the industrious ones. We call on the security agencies to publicly parade those caught in order to serve as deterrent to others. They must not be treated with kid gloves.

“Their names and faces must be exposed to friends and family members. They must be paraded as the bad eggs in society. We all know that societal norms and values have long broken down but we never knew that things had degenerated to this level. It is such a big shame.

“Where is the well-known African sense of dignity? Where is the pride of the black man who, decades back, could beat his chest and proudly rub shoulders with the intellectual giants of the West? The owner of the Lagos CBT center who allowed his two biological sons to impersonate other candidates is a disgrace to all Nigerian parents. His despicable conduct confirms the breakdown in family norms and values in the Nigerian society.

“This is a father training his own sons to fill up Nigerian universities with unqualified students. Some of those ‘assisted’ by them will graduate as ‘medical doctors’ who will become harbingers of death to hundreds of innocent patients simply because they were never really qualified to read medicine in the first place.

“It is more painful when we realise that these people have been doing it for years and getting away with it. In essence, we are saying that our universities are filled with unqualified undergraduates while thousands of employees brandish university degrees which they cannot defend.  

“We are not surprised, however. Both the federal and state governments failed to meet global best standards in terms of funding of the education sector. Only one or two states made the education sector a priority. The effect has been a colossal loss in qualitative education.

“Instances of this dwindling performance can be found in the results published by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) in past years. Only 28.58 percent of the candidates obtained credit passes in five subjects including English Language and General Mathematics in the WASSCE examination of year 2015. 38.58 percent passed the subjects in 2016 while the percentage fell to 26.01 percent in 2017.  

“Things got so bad that an unnamed Nigerian who called himself a ‘graduate’ posted a highly embarrassing message on facebook in 2018 in which he said, ‘It's with deeps sence nd humility to told public, friends and family that... I had been collected my result yesterday 30/04/2018 around 2.00 pm with the overall of 3.44 CGPA. I'm now a graduate’. How he made this grade point remains a mystery but at least he has succeeded in exposing the rot in the system.

“Only three Nigerian universities were included in the 2019 Times Higher Education World University Rankings out of 1,250 tertiary institutions around the globe. Only one (the University of Ibadan) was in the 2018 list and it was ranked number 801 out of 1,000 universities. The same university was the only one included among the 800 best universities in the world in 2016 and its position was 601. No single Nigerian university made the 2015 list released by the Centre for World University Rankings. The United States alone had eight among the top ten.

“This generally poor performance resulted in parents’ loss of confidence in the Nigerian education system and those who can afford it sought admission for their children outside the shores of this country. It also informed their desire for cutting corners particularly by parents who are thin in integrity but fat in indecency”.

MURIC also commended JAMB’s chief executive, Professor Ishaq Oloyede. “Nigerians should give kudos to the current JAMB registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede for the giant strides recorded by JAMB. He is sanitizing the system. We have always said that leadership matters a lot. JAMB is making waves because a no-nonsense man is at the helm of affairs.

It must also be admitted that Oloyede’s achievements are a reflection of the deeply embedded integrity in the numero uno citizen, President Muhammadu Buhari. It would have been another cup of tea if the president himself is of questionable character. Those who are still cynical about the change mantra have another nut to crack.

“In our closing remarks, we call for the public parade of the professional examination writers. The law must be allowed to take its full course no matter whose ox is gored. The owner of the notorious CBT center in Lagos whose two sons are involved must face the full wrath of the law while himself and his CBT center must be banned for life. He is a disgrace to parenthood”.

     

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)