ATTENTION FG: SLAVE LABOUR IN BENIN ELECTRICITY DISTRIBUTION COMPANY (BEDC)

9^th July, 2015

PRESS RELEASE:

ATTENTION FG: SLAVE LABOUR IN BENIN ELECTRICITY DISTRIBUTION COMPANY (BEDC)

Workers of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) which was privatized along with others a long time ago did not receive their letters of appointment until May 2015 (two months ago). The letter stated that salary would depend on the percentage of total commission in each month. To their dismay, the May 2015 salary which was paid on Thursday, 11^th June, 2015 allegedly fell short of expectation as some of the workers received 50% of their full salary while some got less than that.  

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) is dismayed by this development and we strongly condemn it. It is dehumanising, debasing and degrading. It runs counter to the principles of human dignity, liberty and equal access to the dividends of democracy. We are surprised that some Nigerians could still be treated like slaves in their own country 55 years after independence.

Any reduction in workers’ take-home-pay in these hard times is most likely to result in additional suffering for the underpriviledged. The Nigerian proletariat is the producer of our common wealth. Therefore workers deserve wages commensurate with their efforts. A situation where labour is overworked, underpaid and overtaxed can only produce socio-economic disequilibrium.        

Shortchanging workers and exploiting them in any form is not only inhuman, it is ungodly. The Glorious Qur’an Chapter 16 (Surat an-Nahl) verse 90 commands fairness, justice and equity. It says, “Allah commands justice, good deeds and generous giving to kith and kin. He forbids impropriety, exploitation and rebellion. He counsels you that you may be reminded.”

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) also enjoined employers to pay workers promptly and adequately. He said inter alia, “Aatuu al-ajiir ajrahu qabla an yajifa ‘araqahu”, i.e. Give the labourer his wage before his sweat dries.    

Maltreating workers is therefore an infringement on their Allah-given fundamental human right. The Supreme Creator gave every worker the right to be paid promptly and commensurately too. He also game every man dignity of his human person. “We have honoured the children of Adam, We provided them with means of transportation and sustenance on land and sea, then We conferred on them special favours above all other creatures” (Qur’an 17:70).

If Almighty Allah who created us has honoured us, why should BEDC deprive its workers of this honour? Is BEDC saying that its own employees are less human and should be subjected to slave labour?

MURIC contends that BEDC has flagrantly violated the Labour Act Chapter 198 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 as in Part I General Provisions as to the protection of wages.

We therefore charge the Federal Government to, as a matter of urgency, wade into the matter. We also call the attention of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) which is the umbrella organization of all labour unions in the country to come to the aid of the oppressed staff of BEDC.

NLC should be able to find out if this obnoxious policy is peculiar to BEDC or to all privatized companies and take such steps that will ensure the protection of workers’ interests in those companies. Another term of reference in which NLC may show interest is to find out if it is true that  Mrs. Dame Patience Jonathan, wife of  Dr. Goodluck Jonathan,  former head of state, owns 60% of BEDC shares and how far this has encouraged the company’s management to engage in acts of impunity.

Is this how those elected by the people are expected to treat poor workers? Are they supposed to privatise public property, sell such properties to themselves, their wives, their children, family members, concubines and friends at the expense of the downtrodden? Any public office holder who does this has broken his oath of office.

We urge the Buhari administration to show interest in this angle. All recently privatized companies should be investigated with a view to identifying the buyers and whether or not due process has been followed. It will serve as deterrent for public officers who have the noun ‘thief’ and the verb ‘to steal’ in future.   

As far as MURIC is concerned, oppression of one is oppression of all, regardless of religion or tribe. We believe that Nigerians should be set free particularly in this new dispensation of ‘Change’. We remain oppressed until every Nigerian worker is adequately paid, until every hungry Nigerian is fed and until every illiterate Nigerian is educated.

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)

FANI-KAYODE GOOFED ON BOKO HARAM BOMBS

8^th July, 2015

PRESS RELEASE:

FANI-KAYODE GOOFED ON BOKO HARAM BOMBS

Femi Fani-Kayode, former Aviation Minister and spokesperson of the campaign organization of former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan yesterday said that Nigerians asked for the recent upsurge in Boko Haram attacks by rejecting his boss for the second term. Fani-Kayode said Nigerians failed to heed warnings about the danger ahead if Jonathan lost the election. According to him, the renewed bombings and killings are part of the consequences of rejecting Jonathan.

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) is shocked by Fani-Kayode’s cold-blooded remarks. His words are nothing short of a manifestation of extreme wickedness and infantile vituperations. Like a frustrated man who suddenly realized that the castles he had built in the air had totally collapsed, Jonathan’s spokesman is prepared to out-Herod Herod. With Fani-Kayode calling the shots in the public domain in this country, Nigerians do not need a worse advocatus diaboli.

We are stupefied that at a time when innocent Northerners are being mowed down in large numbers, Jonathan’s messenger is singing Halleluyah! At a time when emergency workers are calling on volunteers to donate blood in order to save the lives of injured Nigerians, Fani-Kayode is singing songs of victory. At a time mothers are crying, orphans wailing and widows are sobbing, an ex-minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is dancing makosa. It is the highest point of 

sadism and the lowest level of normal human behavior.

By the way, is Fani-Kayode rejoicing over the actualization of earlier threats from certain quarters that Northerners would be dealt with if Jonathan did not get a second term?

Perhaps the ex-minister needs to know why his boss failed woefully in the last election. Nigerians saw the difference between an inexperienced, incompetent, clueless and corrupt leader and another who has impressive pedigree, robust experience, untainted credibility, unquestionable competence and transparency primus inter pareil. They chose the latter. 

We have no doubt that Jonathan will be roundly beaten at the polls even if he contests a dozen times again against President Muhammadu Buhari.        

We appeal to well-meaning Nigerians to call Fani-Kayode to order before he sets this country on fire. Taunting a bereaved people is the fastest and surest way to starting a conflagration. We urge Nigerians to ignore the ex-minister’s rantings and to continue to work and pray for the return of peace to our dear country, Nigeria.  

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)

KUDOS TO BUHARI FOR BAILING OUT BANKRUPT STATES

7 July, 2015

PRESS RELEASE:

KUDOS TO BUHARI FOR BAILING OUT BANKRUPT STATES

Debt-ridden states yesterday received a lifeline as the Federal Government opened its cash till to bail out workers owed a backlog of salary arrears in some states of the federation. The Federal Government approved the sum of N402 billion to settle outstanding salaries of workers at all levels.

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) commends this move. It symptomises the actualization of the ‘change’ mantra for which the All Progressive Party (APC) rode into power. By bailing out state governments and enabling them to pay workers, President Muhammadu Buhari has demonstrated that he is worker-friendly, sensitive to public opinion and willing to alleviate the suffering of the jamaheer (poor masses).

Contrary to what some mischievous elements want us to believe, the bankruptcy syndrome took the driver’s seat in about twelve states, not just one. Among the states affected are Ekiti, Kwara, Kogi, Ondo, Plateau, Benue, Oshun, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Oyo and Bauchi states.

MURIC is of the humble opinion that states would not have been dragged into this financial mess if ex-President Goodluck Jonathan had been prudent with the country’s funds. Involvement in white elephant projects, hobnobbing with notorious kleptomaniacs and drug barons, turning the blind eye to glaring cases of corruption and dipping fingers into the nation’s coffers to fund his extravagant second term campaign are responsible for the states’ financial woes.         

For the records, MURIC urges Nigerians to know where to direct their blame for Nigeria’s present economic downturn. Under President Jonathan, Nigeria made $81 billion annually from oil alone for five years with nothing to show for it. That is a whopping $405 billion!

Finally, we invite President Muhammadu Buhari to bring his past record in prudence, probity and accountability to bear in governing Nigeria. The Federal Government should do everything possible under the law to retrieve every single kobo stolen in the last dispensation. Something must also be done to the culprits in order to serve as deterrents in future. We charge Nigerians, particularly workers, to be patient with the new administration.

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)

NASS LEADERSHIP CRISIS: RECONCILE IN THE INTEREST OF NIGERIA

23^rd June, 2015

PRESS RELEASE:

NASS LEADERSHIP CRISIS:

RECONCILE IN THE INTEREST OF NIGERIA

The Nigerian National Assembly (NASS) has been engulfed in leadership crisis for the past two weeks. The elections of Senators Bukola Saraki and Hon. Yakubu Dogara as Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives respectively have been enveloped in controversy. Consequently, the NASS has not been able to make any progress as inauguration has since been postponed indefinitely.

Like all other Nigerians who have strong faith in the ‘change’ ideology, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) is deeply disturbed by this ugly development.

Nigerians threw their weight fully behind the ruling party during the last general election and the least APC can do now is to drop buck-passing, find a middle course and move the nation forward. Only thus can our votes be made to count.   

Intra-party feuds are not strange in democracies all over the world but what marks a political culture as sophisticated is the ease and the speed with which solutions are found each time there is a threat of implosion. This is why APC leaders must quickly bury the hatched before political shenanigans and enemies of democracy capitalize on the in-fighting to cause greater damage.

Above all, APC leaders must demonstrate their political sagacity in handling the crisis without allowing it to escalate further in order to keep the military at bay. We should not give the military the impression that Nigerian politicians cannot handle democracy. An early resolution of the crisis in a friendly way will also assure Nigerians that our democracy has matured.

Why should the APC give leaders of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) cause to mock them? Nigerians know the PDP for its cluelessness, its waste of scarce resources, its unbridled promotion of corruption and its love for impunity, abuse of decorum, recklessness and lawlessness. That explains why the Nigerian ship drifted aimlessly at sea for sixteen years.

Have APC leaders forgotten so soon how former President Jonathan wielded the tyrant’s big stick against them? Security agents were illegally employed by Jonathan to silence you in the opposition camp. Hundreds were clamped in detention in the days preceding elections. Your movements and speeches were censored. Your aircrafts were denied landing right while you were midair. Those planning to take off were not allowed to do so, all in an effort to destabilize and frustrate you. Buhari’s certificate could not be found. But you weathered the storm and came out victorious. Will any sacrifice be too big in order to sustain this victory?

A verse of the Glorious Qur’an which teaches unity is very pertinent here. It says, “And hold fast the rope which Allah stretches out to you. Do not be divided. Remember Allah’s favour on you when you were enemies and He joined your hearts in love, such that, by His Grace, you became brothers (you formed the coalition that enabled you to win the election). You were on the brink of the pit of fire (Jonathan’s torments) and He saved you from it. Thus Allah makes His signs clear to you so that you may be guided (Qur’an 3:103).

MURIC therefore reminds APC leaders that this is not the time to allow experts in divide et impera to have their way. This is not the time to win and take all. It is the time to share with partners in the trench, time to extend the dividends of democracy to all Nigerians.

The contributions and sacrifices of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu cannot be overemphasized. His common sense revolution galvanized the control of a single state to six and later metamorphosed into what we have today.

Neither should anyone underestimate the gargantuan input of President Muhammadu Buhari’s party, the Congress For Progressive Change (CPC) which all alone gave Jonathan the run for his money in 2011 and garnered a large chunk of the day’s votes.

Yet the coalition of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the CPC could still have had little effect on the 2015 general elections without the defection of the five governors.

The historical walkout at the PDP convention led by former Vice President Abubakar Atiku paved the way for the governors’ defection and spelled doom for the PDP administration. Stakeholders in the party must therefore acknowledge the fact that it was the partnership which worked.  

While we admit that intra-party conflict is good for democracy because it promotes transparency and free speech, we must know the limits. We must know when the party is pushed to the edge of the precipice. That is the time to allow the spirit of give-and-take.

Finally, MURIC strongly appeals to the top echelon of the party to make more sacrifices now in order to strengthen the party. Those who stoop early conquer convincingly. Giving so much and taking so little is the hallmark of altruism. Nay, it is the height of leadership quality. To the authors of the conspiracy which has engulfed the NASS, we remind them that posterity will only honour them if they think more of Nigeria and less of themselves.

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)