MURIC HAILS SOLUDO FOR BANNING BETTING

 

22^nd October, 2022

PRESS RELEASE:

MURIC HAILS SOLUDO FOR BANNING BETTING

 

Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State banned betting institutions like Bet9ja, NairaBet, etc yesterday, Friday, 21^st October, 2022. He also banned gambling in casinos in the state. Meanwhile an Islamic human rights organisation, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has hailed the move. The group described the governor’s action as bold, righteous and commendable.

 

This was contained in a statement issued on Saturday, 22^nd October, 2022 by the group’s director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

The statement reads :

“The governor of Anambra State, Dr. Charles Soludo banned betting institutions like Bet9ja, NairaBet, etc yesterday, Friday, 21^st October, 2022. The ban also affected gambling inside casinos (https://saharareporters.com/2022/10/21/governor-soludo-bans-bet9ja-nairabet-other-gambling-services-casinos-anambra).

 

“We commend the governor for taking this step. It is bold, righteous and commendable. Soludo is exhibiting high level morality and undisguised discipline in governance. It will be recalled that he recently banned the wearing of mini-skirts by school girls in the state. He is demonstrating zero tolerance for lasciviousness, licentiousness and avaricious greed.

 

“The Muslim Rights Concern is showing interest in Soludo’s way of governance because his style conforms with the Muslim way of life. We will not be surprised if he does not drink and does not smoke. Soludo is promoting virtues, fighting vice and projecting righteousness. This man can clean up the mess in our society. He is a presidential material, ceteris paribus. Therefore, MURIC will not hesitate to support him at the right time.

 

“It is not about religion every time. It is about values, norms and orientation. Soludo is not a Muslim but a man who has morality and discipline deeply tucked in his curriculum vitae has already scored high marks in our assessment parameters.

 

“Some Nigerians have misunderstood MURIC. Our defence of or support for a Muslim is not unconditional. We will not defend the indefensible. We stood by President Muhammadu Buhari on the basis of his astounding simplicity and unassailable integrity.

 

“Some people misinterpreted this stand for support for Buhari’s political party whereas we have nothing to do with any political party. We align with righteousness, not political party. We promote transparency, probity and accountability, not primordial sentiments. That informs why we are singing Soludo’s praise today even though he is not in Buhari’s political party.

 

“We are not unaware that Soludo’s ban on betting in Anambra State was informed by what the state government’s statement called ‘a worrisome number of petitions recently received by the government concerning the manipulation of casino machines and non-transparency in payment for winnings.’

 

“What else should we expect from the gambling kingdom? The statement issued by the government of Anambra State confirms the belief of God-fearing people that the primary purpose and goal of indulging in betting and gambling are cheating, reaping where one did not sow and joining the get-rich-fast syndrome. Betting, gambling and cheating are like six and half dozen.

 

“Betting and gambling represent high tech fraud. They impoverish millions and enrich a handful. Too many people are made to suffer while only a few smile. It symbolises the height of man’s wickedness to man. Unfortunately those who receive the brunt are the extremely poor, the hungry, the underdogs and the homeless.

 

“The Glorious Qur’an 2:219 explicitly prohibits gambling. It refers to it as an abomination and a handiwork of Shaytan (the devil). The Qur’an classifies gambling and drinking of alcohol together. No wonder that the two often go together such that you find alcohol very close to where you find gamblers.

 

“Although there is no verse of the Bible that clearly bans betting and gambling, some verses still condemn the love of money and the crave for quick wealth. Proverbs 13:11 says, ‘Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.’ 1 Timothy 6:9-10 declares, ‘But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs’.

 

“We therefore call on Governor Soludo to go beyond finding a temporary solution to the nefarious activities of betting and gambling institutions in the state. Those two Satanic practices should remain banned.”

 

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)

 

MURIC CONGRATULATES NEW EKITI GOV, SSG

 

17^th October, 2022

PRESS RELEASE:

MURIC CONGRATULATES NEW EKITI GOV, SSG

 

An Islamic human rights organisation, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has congratulated the new governor of Ekiti State, Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji (BAO) on his assumption of office. The group also felicitated with the newly appointed Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr. Habibat Omolara Adubiaro.

 

The statement which was issued on Monday, 17^th October, 2022 was signed by the group’s director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

 

MURIC recalled that Muslims in the state had been politically marginalised in the past. It commended the new governor for deeming it fit to pick a Muslim as his SSG. The group therefore described the Oyebanji administration as one which prepared to herald a new dawn. It urged the governor to strengthen his position further by running an inclusive government.

 

The statement added that both Muslims and Christians have a lot in common as adherents of the Abrahamic faith. It therefore advised Governor Oyebanji to appoint more Muslims into his cabinet in order to draw Muslims in the state closer to his administration. Finally, we implore citizens of Ekiti State to cooperate with the new governor in order to take the state to new heights.

 

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Director,

Muslim Rights Concern.

 

 

STOP VICTIMISING MUSLIM JUDGES: MURIC TELLS OSUN CJ

 

16^th October, 2022

PRESS RELEASE:

STOP VICTIMISING MUSLIM JUDGES: MURIC TELLS OSUN CJ

 

The Chief Judge of Osun State, Honourable Justice Adepele Ojo, has been accused of victimising Muslim members of the judiciary in the state. The allegation was levelled by an Islamic human rights organisation, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).

 

MURIC’s allegation was contained in a press statement circulated on Sunday, 16^th October, 2022 by the director of the human rights organisation, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

 

The statement reads :

“The Judiciary and Legal Department of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has for some time noticed an unpleasant trend in the affairs of the Osun State judiciary with respect to the treatment of Muslim judges. In particular, we noticed that the Chief Judge, Honourable Justice Adepele Ojo, has been doing everything possible to undermine Islam and the Muslims in Osun State judiciary.

 

 

“This observation is verifiable and we are going to substantiate every point we make here. MURIC does not act on impulse. Neither do we level allegations out of spite.

 

 

“Exempli gratia, one of the past chief judges allocated two pieces of land of equal sizes to both Christians and Muslim communities of Osun State judiciary at the High Court, Osogbo. The Christians built a church on their land while the Muslims also built a mosque on their own.  

 

 

“But the Muslims left a small portion of their land for future need. Recently, the Muslim community wanted to build a small structure on the remaining part of the land allocated to them. They had already started the foundation laying when the Chief Judge, obviously acting on information, rushed to the site and stopped them.

 

 

“She allegedly swore not to allow it till she bowed out of the bench. The Muslim community lost some bags of cement and other materials on account of this injustice. The unfinished foundation is still there till tomorrow for any curious observer to see.

 

 

“Another example of her victimization of Muslims was her arrangement of the 2022 foreign trip of honourable judges which she deliberately fixed to coincide with the period of this year’s Id al-Adha Salah. It was so arranged that Muslim judges could not fully enjoy the trip.  

 

 

“Although such foreign trips were meant to enable judges to relax, the 2022 trip of the honourable judges to Thailand was a traumatic experience for the Muslim judges involved. It must be noted here that the Chief Judge could have fixed the trip during the annual court vacation or at any other time. But she, in her own wisdom, decided to fix it at a time the Muslim judges would lose appetite and feel the pain.

 

 

“The trip was undertaken from 4^th to 15^th July, 2022 whereas Salah was 9^th July, 2022. It was therefore seen as a sadistic ploy to put Muslim judges in a panicky state of mind thereby defeating the primary objective of making the trip an avenue for relaxation for judges with the attendant optimal performance on their return.

 

 

“This arrangement resulted in a tortuous, tumultuous and topsy-turvy foreign trip for Muslims among the judges. A programme designed ab initio for hardworking honourable judges to regain their strength turned into one of extreme stress and unmitigated psychological trauma for the Muslims among them.  

 

 

“All available evidence point to the fact that the 2022 foreign trip as scheduled by the Chief Judge put Muslim judges at an undeserved disadvantage. When their Christian counterparts spent the whole period of about 12 days from 4th to 15th July, 2022, the Muslim judges were constrained to spend just 7 days from 2nd to 8th of July, 2022 because they had to rush home to celebrate Id al-Adha in Nigeria on 8th of July, 2022 for the Salah which was held the next day (9^th July, 2022).

 

 

“Non-Muslims may not comprehend where we are coming from. They may not assimilate the import of this most embarrassing situation unless we create a scenario where Christians are made to go on a trip from 21^st December to 4^th January! This is most likely to create a hullabaloo which will force Christians to return home on 24^th December, a day to Christmas!

 

 

“There is every raison d’etre to suspect that the Honourable Chief Judge has targeted Muslim judges who went for the trip for victimization. Perhaps we can ask the respected Honourable Chief Judge if she would like to schedule the 2023 foreign trip for judges in the state from 21^st December 2022 to 4^th January 2023 (which is Christmas period) or from 5^th to 16^th April, 2023 (which is Easter period)! Afterall, who feels it knows it.

 

 

“Again, the Chief Judge may find it difficult to explain the cassu belli for the consistent denial of many qualified Muslim lawyers of appointment to bench vacancies in the state. The Chief Judge may want to explain why the last two high court appointments saw the emergence of only two Muslims out of 10 appointments despite the existence of eminently qualified Muslims who applied.

 

 

“When did loyalty to pastors and bishops become the standard yardstick for qualification as judges? This is just a question. No disrespect to the bench is intended. MURIC holds the judiciary in high esteem but we will like to see the judiciary promoting equal right, justice and fair play in all its actions. The judiciary is the last hope of the hoi polloi and the jamaaheer have no hope if the judiciary cannot be fair to themselves.

 

 

“In the meantime Muslims in Osun State and by extension Nigeria as a whole are waiting to see the parameter the Chief Judge intends to use in filling the existing vacancies at the high court and magistrate courts. We have no scintilla of doubt that dozens of qualified legal luminaries who are Muslims are waiting on the line. We are waiting to see how they will be sidelined this time.”  

 

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)