#ENDSARS: MURIC REVEALS MORE FACTS

 

19^th October, 2020

                             

PRESS RELEASE:

#ENDSARS: MURIC REVEALS MORE FACTS

        

Participants in the #EndSARS protests have been reminded that some SARS operatives have contributed immensely to the war against criminality over the years. Closer attention should also be paid to other police departments if the excesses of the police is going to be curbed. However, the good ones among the police should consider the ongoing protests with its attendant travails as a trial from Allah and a confirmation of His divine warning.

 

 

This was the submission of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) in a press statement signed by its Director and Founder, Professor Ishaq Akintola, on Monday, 19^th October, 2020.

 

 

The statement reads:

 

“We remind #EndSARS protesting youth that not all SARS operatives are callous and vicious. Among them also are officers who have principle and who devote their whole life to the pursuance of criminals and the protection of innocent Nigerians at the risk of their own lives. They stay awake all night so that Nigerians can sleep in peace. No sane Nigerian can deny this.

 

 

“Among such SARS officers is Abba Kyari, the renowned super cop who has cracked several hard cases and in whose hands many hardened criminals have met their Waterloo. It is our considered opinion that generalisation will not be fair to such officers who have served Nigeria well. The reform of the Nigerian Police which is being contemplated should take note of such gallant officers.

 

 

“To all serving policemen and women, especially those who have consistently exhibited uncommon gallantry, chivalry, sacrifice and courtesy we rise above the angry crowd to appreciate you today. Do not be sad or despondent. Do not say ‘Why are my people doing this to me despite all my sacrifices?’ Accept what is going on as the will of Allah.

 

 

“Almighty Allah predicted it in the Glorious Qur’an, ‘Fear a tumult that will not only affect the culprits among you but it will affect the innocent as well…’ (Qur’an 8:25). The sin of a few is being visited on all. But you must accept it solemnly with faith. Allah is still coming to vindicate you at the end of the day.

 

 

“MURIC calls the attention of the Inspector General of Police to the need to permanently remove all roadblocks and to stop policemen from checking vehicle particulars henceforth. Instructions to this effect have been issued a hundred times by the police leadership but they were never adhered to. We note with special interest that there has been no single roadblock or police checks of vehicle particulars since the commencement of #EndSARS protests particularly in zones affected by the protests.

 

 

“The roadblocks and checkpoints have not been used to serve the original purpose. More often than not, innocent motorists are tormented there. It is not commercial vehicles or young Nigerians alone but also responsible and elderly people. Almost every vehicle that passes is stopped. Or how do you explain a situation whereby about six or more vehicles are parked at police checkpoints with the owners begging desperately?

 

 

“‘Where are your particulars’ have come to mean ‘Where are your party kolas?’ It happened to all of us. The police have created the impression of a Gestapo disposition. This must stop. Roadblocks and checkpoints must not come back again. If they do, the people must rise against it. It is the worst form of police oppression anyone can think of.

 

 

“What MURIC will not support is the extension of #EndSARS to other grievances. #EndSARS must not be politicised. It is tantamount to hijacking a cause and diverting the people’s sentiment to a narrow and selfish objective. Napoleon was indeed right when he said, ‘Men are led by toys’.

 

 

“In Cairo, no police checkpoints are mounted to stop and check vehicles. But every street has a policeman patrolling it with a walkie-talkie. Every road has a patrol car with two policemen watching. Only suspects are flagged down in the United States. Policemen only sit in their patrol vehicles by the roadside on highways.

 

 

“The world is moving fast and Nigeria must not be caught napping. Instead of wasting police manpower and the citizens’ manhour at roadblocks and checkpoints, it is high time we digitalised all registered vehicles. Those whose particulars expire will be notified by email and text messages. It is only those who fail to comply that will be penalised. The Nigeria Police must up its game. Ditto for the licencing authorities. We cannot afford to remain pedestrian in a jet age.

 

 

“A look at our major points before we round off: we doff our hats to SARS heroes like Abba Kyari; we appeal to righteous policemen to accept the ongoing tribulation with philosophical equanimity; we call on police reform panels to note the gallant ones among the police for adequate compensation; police roadblocks and checkpoints must not come back again and, finally, we call for the digitalization of vehicle particulars in conformity with global standards.”

 

 

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

 

END SARS PROTEST: MURIC COMMENDS PROTESTERS, WARNS HOODLUMS, POLITICIANS AGAINST HIJACK

 

14^th October, 2020

                             

PRESS RELEASE:

END SARS PROTEST: MURIC COMMENDS PROTESTERS, WARNS HOODLUMS, POLITICIANS AGAINST HIJACK

        

The Nigerian Islamic human rights body, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has justified the action of Nigerian youths who participated in the #EndSARS protest which began two days ago. But MURIC maintained that protesters should now disperse since the Federal Government has listened to them by disbanding the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) which the youth accused of highhandedness.

 

 

However, the Muslim rights advocacy group cautioned hoodlums and politicians against hijacking the protest for their selfish and parochial agenda. This was revealed in a statement circulated to the media by the Director of the organization, Professor Ishaq Akintola, on Wednesday, 14^th October, 2020.

 

 

The statement reads:

 

“We of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) strongly condemn the reported excesses of men of the Special Armed Robbery Squad (SARS). We frown at the brutal killing of young Nigerians in the hands of the police and consider these as crimes against humanity. The harassment, intimidation and coercion of Nigerian youths by men of SARS constitute outright infringements on Allah-given fundamental rights of the victims. These actions by SARS are a gross violation of freedom of movement and association which are fundamental human rights guaranteed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 which the police swore to protect.

 

 

“MURIC therefore finds justification for Nigerian youths who participated in the #EndSARSprotests. Nonetheless, we condemn the action of a few protesters who employed violence. The attack on the palace of the Soun of Ogbomoso and the looting and destruction of parts of the palace are absolutely unjustifiable. We also appreciate the prompt action of the Federal Government and that of the Inspector General of Police who deemed it fit to disband SARS.

 

 

“We therefore appeal to protesters to disperse and go home. The organizers of the protest must take responsibility. There is no reason why #endSARS protest should metamorphose into any other demand or movement. Nigeria needs a completely peaceful atmosphere to recover from the bruises of COVID-19. This is why a large scale protest must be avoided at all cost. We note with grave concern the likely fallout of such a development as there could be a total breakdown of law and order leading to looting of properties and general chaos. Any attempt to prolong the protest after the disbandment of SARS is a clear invitation to anarchy.

 

 

“We call on the Nigerian Police to protect innocent Nigerians and to ensure that the protest is not hijacked by hoodlums. The police should equally employ minimum force in the process in order to avoid any loss of life.

 

 

“In particular, we warn politicians against hijacking the protest for selfish and parochial ends. Already, there are signs that politicians have warmed their way into the hearts of the protesters as there are reports of thousands of bottled water and snacks being bought and distributed to protesters. The uncertainty of the source of these offers make them suspicious.

 

 

“MURIC affirms that protests are legitimate tools of expressing dissent. But such protests must be peaceful and orderly. MURIC frowns at protests featuring marching through the streets and blocking traffic. Such protests cause more harm than good. For instance, a sick woman being conveyed to the hospital in Lekki, Lagos, reportedly died yesterday after the vehicle conveying her to the hospital was trapped in the traffic gridlock caused by the protest for three hours. We therefore advise the organisers of #EndSARS protests to call their followers off the streets in the interest of innocent and law-abiding people.

 

 

“We can call for reform but it will be irresponsible to block the roads until reform is carried out. Reform is a gradual process. It requires time. What the police authorities have to do is to change the modalities of training and retraining with special focus on civility, respect for human rights and zero tolerance for corruption. Protesters must however forget about prolonging this protest and turning it into a demand for any controversial political issue like restructuring, for example. It should be noted that there is no tabula rasa for restructuring and any form of good governance is restructuring.

 

 

“In our concluding remarks, we assert our reservations for the scrapping of SARS. Nature hates vacuum and FG must not allow this to happen. It is just paradoxical that the same Nigerians who complain about insecurity and insufficiency of police personnel in terms of numerical strength are the same people who rose against SARS. FG must tactically satisfy the yearning of protesters and simultaneously leave no security vacuum. It is a delicate act of balancing.”  

 

 

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

 

MURIC HAILS BUHARI FOR LIFTING THE STATUS OF TEACHERS

 

12^th October, 2020

                             

PRESS RELEASE:

MURIC HAILS BUHARI FOR LIFTING THE STATUS OF TEACHERS

        

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has hailed President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) for his new national teaching policy which came into force last week. The new policy raised the retirement age and service from 60 to 65 and from 35 to 40 respectively; established a special salary scale; provided rural allowance; increased science allowance; promised automatic admission and free tuition for children of teachers in their places of work; automatic recruitment for education graduates, etc.

   

 

In its reaction, MURIC thanked the Nigerian president for putting smiles on the faces of teachers in the country. The human rights group described the development as a significant milestone in the history of education in Nigeria. This was revealed in a statement issued by the Director of the organization, Professor Ishaq Akintola, on Monday, 12^th October, 2020.

 

 

“Nigerian teachers have never had it so good. PMB has raised their level with the new teaching policy announced last week. Teachers can now raise their heads with pride as their reward which used to be in heaven has become a low-hanging fruit just waiting for them to stretch out their hands and pluck.

 

 

“The brain drain syndrome which Nigeria has been experiencing in the education sector is most likely to come to a halt or reduce drastically as a result of this humane gesture by the PMB-led Federal Government (FG). With the Buhari initiative, Nigeria is gradually moving close to global best practices in the welfare of teachers.

 

 

“Switzerland gives teachers the highest average salary in the world which is $110,000. This is keenly followed by Luxemburg : $100,000, Canada : $74,000, Germany : $70,000, Netherlands : $67,000, Australia : $67,000, United States : $60,000, Ireland $53,000 and Denmark : $52,500.

 

 

“These are whopping sums of money and they easily attract Nigerian teachers who are poorly paid. About 10,000 Nigerian university lecturers were in the United States alone seeking greener pastures as far back as 2010. This is in spite of the scarcity of the same lecturers in Nigerian universities. Britain lured 58 Nigerian doctors with 14 days per month work and N47.9 million annual salary in July 2020.

 

 

This point was corroborated in 2016 by Professor Biodun Ogunyemi, president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) when he confirmed that Nigeria was in dire need of no less than 100,000 lecturers (https://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/07/we-need-100000-new-lecturers-for-nigerian-varsities-asuu/). Nigeria had 61,000 lecturers as at 2017 but this was no match for the student population of 1.9 million in the same year.

 

 

“At the level of primary and secondary schools whose teachers are the direct beneficiaries of the new teaching policy, Nigeria had 764,596 primary school teachers, 292,080 teachers in junior secondary schools and 398,275 teachers at the secondary school level as at 2016. But that was four years ago. Though recent data is not readily available, the new policy will impact the lives of no less than two million teachers in the public sector. This is a tremendous leap.

 

 

 

“It is another feather in PMB’s hat. Buhari is rebuilding Nigeria and history is going to register him as the ‘Father of Modern Nigeria’. To those who criticise MURIC for always praising President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB), we say, ‘What say you on PMB’s largesse to teachers? Is it reforming or reactionary? Is it Fulanisation or Islamisation? Show us a palatial house bought by PMB in Paris, London or Luxemburg. Blow the whistle on a single foreign account belonging to Buhari in any part of the world and we will join you in tongue-lashing him. PMB will do better without all these unnecessary distractions and unobjective criticisms.

 

 

“We are aware that Nigeria’s leading political parties are like six and a half dozen and political prostitutes are in all of them in large number. Few of them have ideological focus, principle and discipline. Our support for PMB has nothing to do with his political party or his faith. Rather, the raison d’etre for our admiration for PMB lies in his austere way of life, his high level integrity and his Everest-height patience. Above all, we are motivated by love for our great country, Nigeria.

 

 

“On the contrary, corrupt elements hate PMB because he has closed the tap from which free and dirty money flows. Such people also hate MURIC because we promote the ideals of the man they hate. We can understand. It is called transferred aggression. 

 

 

“Perhaps Nigerians will understand us better when, in future, we give equal support to any leader who brandishes the same qualities particularly if such a leader is not a Muslim or in the same political party with PMB. MURIC will remain nonpartisan, detribalised and devoid of any form of gymnastic religiousity.

 

 

“We urge Mr. President to remain focused and to replicate the same feat in the health sector where strikes are too frequent for comfort. At least two thousand doctors migrated to other countries in the last few years. As at 2018, only 74,543 doctors attend to a population of 200 million ((https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2019/4/8/nigerias-medical-brain-drain-healthcare-woes-as-doctors-flee). This stands in sharp contrast to 91,375 practicing medical doctors attending to 37.59 million people in Canada as at 2019. The implication is that in Canada, 241 doctors attend to only 100,000 patients while in Nigeria a single doctor attends to 2,683 people! Better welfare will make working at home more attractive to our medical doctors.

 

 

“MURIC calls on teachers around the country to prove their mettle through improved performance, dedication and high level professionalism. To whom much is given, much is expected. Our teachers must allow FG’s kind gesture to reflect in the performance of pupils. The mass failure which was recorded in the WAEC examinations of 2018 and 2019 is unacceptable. Only 3,102 out of 12, 202 candidates (26.08%) passed in a minimum of five subjects in 2019. Only 17.5% passed in 2018. It is hoped that PMB’s latest intervention will bring the desired improvement in the shortest time possible.”

 

 

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