| 22nd November, 2011 PRESS RELEASE: DEATH OF ALEX IBRU: CONDOLENCE MESSAGE The media yesterday announced the death of Chief Alex Ibru, business mogul and publisher of The Guardian newspaper. Alex Ibru died on Sunday, 20th November after a 21-day illness. He was 66. Ibru was a staunch promoter of freedom of the press. Unlike his peers in the media business, he gave unfettered free hand to journalists working for his newspaper and restrained himself from the temptation to censor journalists' reports before publications or rebuking them for news reports which did not suit his own taste. He will be remembered for his unflinching support for the cause of freedom and democracy. Ibru consistently denounced the military junta of late General Sani Abacha. A fearless champion of Rousseau's General Will, he fought military dictatorship to a standstill and promoted the ideals of liberty and the rule of law. Ibru's demise is the exit of a colossus. The condolences of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) go to the family of Chief Alex Ibru. We also commiserate with the Nigerian civil society on the loss of this strong pillar. We pray that Almighty Allah will give family and friends of the deceased the strength to bear the loss. Dr. Is-haq Akintola, 234-803-346-4974 Is-haq Akintola (Ph.D), Director, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), 234-818-211-9714 E-mail: muslimrightsconcern@yahoo.co.uk Website: www.muric.net Yahoo Group: groups.yahoo.com/group/muslimrights Blog: muslimrightsmuric.blogspot.com Twitter: twitter.com/muslimconcern Be just Justice is the soul of peace![]() No one can deny one and have the other ![]() Neither can violence or naked force bring lasting peace ![]() |
This is the official blog of the Nigeria-based Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), a human rights organization which promotes, protects and projects the rights of Muslims. This group condemns terrorism and all acts of violence. Its motto is 'Dialogue, Not Violence'
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
MURIC CONDOLES IBRU'S FAMILY
Monday, November 21, 2011
MURIC CONDEMNS PDP PRIMARIES IN BAYELSA
22nd November, 2011 PRESS RELEASE BAYELSA PDP PRIMARIES IS HOCUS-POCUS The People's Democratic Party (PDP) ignored a court order restraining it from conducting fresh gubernatorial primaries in Bayelsa State at the weekend. The court order which was obtained by Governor Timipre Sylva was conspicuously pasted by the court bailiff at the gate of the PDP headquarters, Wadata House, Abuja, last Wednesday 16th November, 2011. Even the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) washed its hands off the exercise on the basis of the court pronouncement. Yet the PDP went ahead to conduct the primaries. This action of Nigeria's ruling party has sent the wrong signals to observers of Nigeria's nascent democracy at both local and international levels. The PDP is now seen as an arrogant and intolerant party led by a power-drunk oligarchy. This party appears bent on taking Nigeria to a vicious dictatorship. Any institution, group or individual that has no respect for the rule of law has no business playing a central role in a democracy. It is important to note that the Bayelsa experience is a case study in political maturity and tolerance. The PDP has failed this test. Bayelsa is the home of the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Therefore, only the best democratic practices are good enough for Bayelsa. But what we witnessed in the PDP primaries during the weekend was politics of exclusion, belligerence and naked aggression. President Jonathan practically took Governor Sylva to the cleaners. The president did not hide his personal involvement in the Bayelsa affair as hundreds of soldiers and policemen were drafted to the state for the primaries. This is uncalled for, unconventional and unacceptable. Why must soldiers be involved in ordinary state primaries? It was an overkill. Jonathan killed a fly with a sledge hammer. What are Nigerians to expect during the real gubernatorial election if an intra-party primaries is treated like World World III? The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) calls on INEC to reject the outcome of the PDP primaries in Bayelsa. It was not free and fair. It was unlawful, illegal and unconstitutional exercise. It was sheer hocus-pocus. The PDP national executives acted ultra vires. We therefore urge INEC to declare the election null and void. The exclusion of Timipre Sylva, a sitting governor, shows that our politicians have learnt no lesson at all. It also shows that PDP as a party is an enemy of democracy. Whereas Nigeria's constitution allows every citizen to vote and be voted for, PDP demonstrated its disgust for the fundamental human rights of Governor Sylva. This is an affront on the Nigerian constitution. If they can do it to a whole governor, then there is no hope for an ordinary citizen getting his right under a PDP government. Dr. Is-haq Akintola, Director, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) 234-818-211-9714 234-803-346-4974 Is-haq Akintola (Ph.D), Director, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), 234-818-211-9714 E-mail: muslimrightsconcern@yahoo.co.uk Website: www.muric.net Yahoo Group: groups.yahoo.com/group/muslimrights Blog: muslimrightsmuric.blogspot.com Twitter: twitter.com/muslimconcern Be just Justice is the soul of peace![]() No one can deny one and have the other ![]() Neither can violence or naked force bring lasting peace ![]() |
Saturday, November 5, 2011
SALAH MESSAGE: POST-JAMB SCREENING IS SINE QUA NON
5th November, 2011 ID AL-KABIR MESSAGE: POST-JAMB SCREENING IS SINE QUA NON There is no gainsaying the fact that the standard of education has fallen in Nigeria. Worse still, examination malpractice appears to be the norm, not the exception. Yet in view of the fact that education is the indispensable launching-pad for economic growth, sound health and technological breakthrough of any nation, we as a people cannot afford to ignore the need for quality control as an essential roadmap to qualitative education. Until recently, the Joint Admissions Matriculations Board (JAMB) was solely responsible for the conduct of entrance examinations into Nigerian universities. It played this role creditably well ab initio. But unhealthy developments soon crept in as allegations of massive fraud were made regarding JAMB. Candidates' marks were allegedly swapped. Students who were known to be brilliant got low marks while average and dull students surprisingly received scandalously high marks. Allegations of JAMB officials selling marks were rife. All kinds of thugs and riff-raffs found their ways into the universities so long as they (or their parents) had the money to throw around. The fallout of this embarrassing situation was the poor performance of students in the university. It led to idleness, absenteeism and cultism among students. Undergraduates could not write simple letters. Their spoken English became the poorest in the West-African sub-region. The standard of education fell to an all time low and stakeholders were quick to finger JAMB as the main culprit. It was discovered that admission was being offered by JAMB to candidates who did not merit it in any way. As a corollary to this, graduates of Nigerian universities could no longer perform the duties expected of them. Our building engineers could not build ordinary nests for birds, our surgeons left scissors and needles inside patients' stomachs while our economists and political scientists could not proffer solutions to Nigeria's hydra-headed socio-economic problems. That is why we are where we are today. It was against this background that the universities in the country put their heads under the same umbrella and designed what is now called the post-JAMB screening examination. This exercise is intended to separate the wheat from the chaff. It is indubitable that it has succeeded in weeding out undeserving elements since it was introduced about three years ago. It has ensured that only genuinely interested candidates are admitted into universities. Cultism and other anti-social practices have reduced among students. MURIC appeals to members of the National Assembly to leave the post-JAMB examinations as they are. The universities know the stuff to expect from their candidates. JAMB is already over-pampered and over-bloated. It has outlived both its relevance and usefulness. The staff in JAMB bear no sense of belonging to any university. They have nothing at stake so they can stomach corruption in the system. The universities are keen on getting the best materials into their institutions. We therefore urge the NASS to listen to the universities. Any attempt to scrap the post-JAMB sceening examinations being conducted by the universities will definitely drag the education sector back to the Stone Age. Dr. Is-haq Akintola, 234-803-346-4974 Is-haq Akintola (Ph.D), Director, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), 234-818-211-9714 E-mail: muslimrightsconcern@yahoo.co.uk Website: www.muric.net Yahoo Group: groups.yahoo.com/group/muslimrights Blog: muslimrightsmuric.blogspot.com Twitter: twitter.com/muslimconcern Be just Justice is the soul of peace![]() No one can deny one and have the other ![]() Neither can violence or naked force bring lasting peace ![]() |
POST-JAMB SCREENING IS SINE QUA NON
5th November, 2011 ID AL-KABIR MESSAGE: POST-JAMB SCREENING IS SINE QUA NON There is no gainsaying the fact that the standard of education has fallen in Nigeria. Worse still, examination malpractice appears to be the norm, not the exception. Yet in view of the fact that education is the indispensable launching-pad for economic growth, sound health and technological breakthrough of any nation, we as a people cannot afford to ignore the need for quality control as an essential roadmap to qualitative education. Until recently, the Joint Admissions Matriculations Board (JAMB) was solely responsible for the conduct of entrance examinations into Nigerian universities. It played this role creditably well ab initio. But unhealthy developments soon crept in as allegations of massive fraud were made regarding JAMB. Candidates' marks were allegedly swapped. Students who were known to be brilliant got low marks while average and dull students surprisingly received scandalously high marks. Allegations of JAMB officials selling marks were rife. All kinds of thugs and riff-raffs found their ways into the universities so long as they (or their parents) had the money to throw around. The fallout of this embarrassing situation was the poor performance of students in the university. It led to idleness, absenteeism and cultism among students. Undergraduates could not write simple letters. Their spoken English became the poorest in the West-African sub-region. The standard of education fell to an all time low and stakeholders were quick to finger JAMB as the main culprit. It was discovered that admission was being offered by JAMB to candidates who did not merit it in any way. As a corollary to this, graduates of Nigerian universities could no longer perform the duties expected of them. Our building engineers could not build ordinary nests for birds, our surgeons left scissors and needles inside patients' stomachs while our economists and political scientists could not proffer solutions to Nigeria's hydra-headed socio-economic problems. That is why we are where we are today. It was against this background that the universities in the country put their heads under the same umbrella and designed what is now called the post-JAMB screening examination. This exercise is intended to separate the wheat from the chaff. It is indubitable that it has succeeded in weeding out undeserving elements since it was introduced about three years ago. It has ensured that only genuinely interested candidates are admitted into universities. Cultism and other anti-social practices have reduced among students. MURIC appeals to members of the National Assembly to leave the post-JAMB examinations as they are. The universities know the stuff to expect from their candidates. JAMB is already over-pampered and over-bloated. It has outlived both its relevance and usefulness. The staff in JAMB bear no sense of belonging to any university. They have nothing at stake so they can stomach corruption in the system. The universities are keen on getting the best materials into their institutions. We therefore urge the NASS to listen to the universities. Any attempt to scrap the post-JAMB sceening examinations being conducted by the universities will definitely drag the education sector back to the Stone Age. Dr. Is-haq Akintola, 234-803-346-4974 Is-haq Akintola (Ph.D), Director, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), 234-818-211-9714 E-mail: muslimrightsconcern@yahoo.co.uk Website: www.muric.net Yahoo Group: groups.yahoo.com/group/muslimrights Blog: muslimrightsmuric.blogspot.com Twitter: twitter.com/muslimconcern Be just Justice is the soul of peace![]() No one can deny one and have the other ![]() Neither can violence or naked force bring lasting peace ![]() |
Saturday, October 22, 2011
ON GHADAFI'S LAST WORDS
ON GHADAFI'S LAST WORDS Western sponsored media is reporting Ghadafi as saying, "Don't shoot. Don't shoot" as his last words. These are cheap lies aimed at eroding the image of Ghadafi. We are not deceived. Ghadafi was killed by a NATO airstrike. Period. They should stop this poor and laughable attempt to hang Ghadafi's killing on the necks of ignorant rebel fighters. Ghadafi died the death of a hero. He was a warrior to the very last. Sure he went down. But he made sure thousands went down with him. That is the height of gallantry. You don't make it too easy for the enemy. No Retreat. No Surrender. Shouldn't we wonder why thousands chose to remain with him till the very last? It is simply because they had seen in Ghadafi those indubitable traits of genuine leadership. None of the NATO generals can match the qualities demonstrated by Ghadafi in this Libya war. Or is it not cheap courage to stay hundreds of meters in the air, raining bombs, missiles and other weapons of mass destruction on poor civilians and lacking the courage to step down from the high horse to face the adversary one-on-one? Methink that is the measure of chivalry. Or what do we say about the cowardly use of unmanned drones dispatched thousands of kilometers away while the finger pressing the buttons sits in the comfort of an airconditioned control room? Does international law permit the use of such a dangerous weapon of mass destruction? Is anybody safe anywhere any more? We are not even talking about the fact that NATO exceeded the bounds of its mandate in this expedition. The UN only asked NATO to protect civilian populations. Of course Banki Moon dare not speak a word about that. We all know how Ghadafi resisted NATO airstrikes. Tripoli fell. This man did not surrender. Benghazi, Bani Walid, Ghadafi did not blink an eyelid. And then Sirte. He did not surrender. Enough of dirty Western propaganda. Anyway, we know the psychology of lies. Liars believe that if a lie is repeated often enough, even the liar himself will start believing it as the gospel truth. Do they take the rest of the world for fools? Was this not the same lie that was told about the capture of Saddam Hussein in a hole? See how 'civilized' capitalists repeat shams! We remember how Saddam Hussein struggled with those who tried to hang him. He cursed them repeatedly. He died like a real man. Chivalry demands that one respects the good sides of his enemy. Why cant the West respect this quality of fearlessness in Saddam Hussein and Ghadafi. If Fidel Castro the Cuban leader or Hugo Chervez of Venezuela should die tomorrow, Western media will suddenly 'find' eye witnesses of their last minutes in which they regretted their differences with capitalism. Take my word for it. NATO is currently busy working on 'evidence' of its claims. All these will be doctored and manipulated. Look out for NATO's 'evidence'. But don't forget to look out also for the 'give away' pieces that will neutralize all those lies. People who are smarter by half always end up maradonizing themselves! Finally, we note with concern how Muslim leaders are easy targets of murder and how Islamic countries are the focus of occupations for the West. Israel has defied the UN for decades, yet America, Britain or France have never deemed it necessary to impose sanction on Israel or to threaten it with NATO attack. By the way, how many Israelites were among the pilots who flew those sorties for NATO over Libya?
Is-haq Akintola (Ph.D), Director, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), 234-818-211-9714 E-mail: muslimrightsconcern@yahoo.co.uk Website: www.muric.net Yahoo Group: groups.yahoo.com/group/muslimrights Blog: muslimrightsmuric.blogspot.com Twitter: twitter.com/muslimconcern Be just Justice is the soul of peace![]() No one can deny one and have the other ![]() Neither can violence or naked force bring lasting peace ![]() |
DEATH OF GHADAFI
Justice is the soul of peace


Thursday, September 29, 2011
INDEPENDENCE DAY MESSAGE
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)
234-818-211-9714
Justice is the soul of peace

