BAN ON WOMEN IN HIJAB FROM LG POLL: IT IS ULTRA VIRES

17^th December, 2015,

PRESS RELEASE:

BAN ON WOMEN IN HIJAB FROM LG POLL:

IT IS ULTRA VIRES

The Ekiti State Independent Electoral Commission (EKSIEC) yesterday banned women in hijab from partaking in the local government elections taking place on Saturday.      

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) condemns this action. It is illegal, unconstitutional and therefore untenable. We put it to EKSIEC that its action is ultra vires and cannot stand the test of law. It is also provocation of the highest order and therefore quite unexpected of a mature and responsible authority.

Coming just 48 hours to the commencement of voting, the government of Ayodele Fayose has marked itself out as a confusionist and an undisguised anarchist. Most importantly, Fayose has simply decided to finish the dirty job of a hatchet man, the hangsman specially designated to victimize, oppress and dehumanize Ekiti Muslims, a stinking job which he started since he became governor in Ekiti State.

It will be recalled that Fayose formed an all-Christian government after assumption of office earlier this year. His open bigotry and untethered hatred for Muslims makes him the governor with the worst record of Christian-Muslim relations Nigeria ever had.

Fayose has completely shut out Muslims who have a very large population in the state from his government. His deputy governor, secretary to the state government, all 14 commissioners, all 26 permanent secretaries are all Christians.  Little wonder therefore that Fayose had no qualms stigmatizing Muslims, marginalizing them and disenfranchising them.

With his latest action, Fayose has proved to the whole world that he lacks vision, suffers from poverty of dignity and he is in dire need of internship in exemplary leadership.

We charge the Muslims of Ekiti State not to allow Fayose to intimidate them. Any election from which any section of the population is banned without having committed any offence cannot stand in law. It is a kangaroo election.

Nonetheless, we advocate submission to the rule of law. Ekiti Muslims are advised to remain peaceful and law abiding. EKSIEC has erred in law and the Muslims of the state must challenge this draconian declaration in a competent court of the land. Allah-given fundamental rights of Muslim women in Ekiti must be enforced via peaceful and constitutional means. The courts will decide.  

Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)
08182119714

PROBE THE ARMY FOR KILLING MUSLIMS IN ZARIA

14^th December, 2015,

PRESS RELEASE:

PROBE THE ARMY FOR KILLING MUSLIMS IN ZARIA

A detachment of the Nigerian Army on Saturday, 12^th December, 2015 opened fire on unarmed members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria who were holding a peaceful procession on the streets of Zaria, Kaduna State.      

The Islamic organization claimed that hundreds of its members were mowed down in cold blood. Among those killed were Hajia Zeenat and Aliy, wife and son of the organization’s leader respectively. Among top members of the organization who were killed were Shaykh Mustapha Sa’eed, Shaykh Ibrahim Usman, Shaykh Jummai Gilima and Shaykh Muhammad Turi, the leader of the Kano Center of the group.

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) strongly condemns this massacre of peace-loving and law-abiding citizens. We denounce the well-known belligerent posture of the Nigerian military towards unarmed civilians as manifested in this massacre. It is reckless, lawless and barbaric. It is wanton exhibition of lack of respect for human life and an open infringement on Allah-given fundamental human rights of defenceless Nigerians. It is impunity of the highest order.

We reject the army’s claim of reacting to an attempt by the group to assassinate the life of the Chief of General Staff. It is laughable, ridiculous and unacceptable. It is an infantile after-thought, a cock and bull story to which only the marines will listen.

The Islamic Movement of Nigeria has no record of violence during its annual processions. On the contrary, the Nigerian Army seems to have marked the group for elimination as manifested in its unprovoked attack on the group in July last year (2014) which claimed the lives of three of Shaykh Al-Zakzaky’s sons as well as more than thirty other members of the group.

The army’s claim that the procession blocked the access road appears more plausible but it could only have slowed down the movement of traffic and does not warrant a massacre of this proportion.

In comparison, the disruption of traffic movement caused by the Islamic organization in Zaria is a child’s play when considered against the background of the notorious blockade and heavy traffic caused by the Redeemed Church on Lagos-Ibadan expressway which causes untold suffering to thousands of travelers.

Thousands of commuters and road users are known to have slept on the road as a result of the traffic congestion caused by the church on Lagos-Ibadan expressway. Many programmes have failed because of the holdup. Weddings have been truncated as either the bride or the groom (or both) were held up in the traffic conundrum. Hundreds of motorists have been forced to turn round and return to their destinations for the same reason.

Is the Nigerian Army telling us that none of its vehicles have ever been caught in the traffic gridlock on Lagos-Ibadan expressway? Did the soldiers get down and start shooting members of the Redeeemed Church who caused the gridlock? Something is seriously wrong here. We can see different strokes for different folks.

By the way, is it not an open secret that Al-Zakyzaky’s members hold their procession once annually or at least during their festivals? Is it also not well known that apart from some of its special programmes, the Redeemed Church programmes come up at least once every month (every first Friday of the month)?

This translates to the Muslim group disturbing traffic once or twice in a year while the Christian group causes traffic congestion more than twelve times in a year. How is the Nigerian Army able to stomach the group that disturbs so frequently but it descends heavily and murderously on the group whose frequency is less?

This killing is one too many. It must not go uninvestigated and unpunished. The army must be accountable. Our democracy is a fraud if soldiers will not submit themselves to civil authority.

Heads must roll in the military for this latest extra-judicial killing otherwise nobody will be safe from military rascality in future. We are not in the days of military rule. The Nigerian Army must be subjected to the rule of law. It is high time Nigerians were told who is in control: General Muhammadu Buhari or the military?      

We remind Nigerians of the root of the current Boko Haram insurgency. We must look back and remember where we came from because today was born from the wombs of yesterday. Members of Boko Haram started peacefully until their leader was killed extra-judicially and their headquarters was destroyed by machine gun-wielding and armoured tank-brandishing troops.

The latest trigger-happiness in the Nigerian army is capable of repeating history. We do not want a situation whereby members of Al-Zakyzaky’s organization who have hitherto been peaceful will become radicalized and militarized. The only way to ensure that this does not happen is to punish those who gave the order for the massacre. We therefore submit a case of use of excessive force on unarmed civilians against the Nigerian Army.

Without prejudice to the army’s highhandedness in this matter, Al-Zakyzaky’s followers should organize their rallies with civility. They should engage the services of traffic policemen and arrange their members in a thin line of two in a row.

Our investigation revealed that the Emir of Zaria Alhaji Shehu Idris once changed his route due to the heavy traffic caused by the organization’s long procession. Even former Governor Mukhtar Yero was once affected. We appeal to the leaders of Zazzau Emirate to dialogue with Shaykh Al-Zakzaky with a view to finding a lasting solution to the problem.

MURIC invites the National Assembly (NASS) to quickly wade into the matter. We appeal to the Defence Committee of the two arms of the NASS to probe the killings and to pursue the matter to a logical conclusion. We also demand adequate compensation for the families of those murdered by the army.

It is most disturbing that Al-Zakzaky’s members claim that their leader’s whereabouts is unknown. There are rumours that the army arrested him. We hereby demand that he should be produced safe and sound latest by tomorrow, Tuesday, 15^th December, 2015.

The law says no Nigerian should be detained beyond 48 hours after which he should be produced in court. We advise the Shaykh’s followers to approach a competent court to seek the enforcement of the Shaykh’s fundamental human rights should the army fail to produce him as requested.

Finally, we hereby request the Nigerian Human Rights Commission to investigate the circumstances surrounding this gruesome massacre. We call on the international community to put pressure on the Nigerian authorities and their military to check the latter’s aggressiveness, lawlessness and criminal propensity. The human rights record of the Nigerian military is at all time low.

At a time when the whole world is seeking ways of de-radicalising extremists, the Nigerian military appears bent on militarizing peace-loving and law-abiding Islamic organizations.     

Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)
08182119714

MURIC COMMENDS LAGOS GOVT FOR SHUTTING MOSQUES & CHURCHES OVER NOISE POLLUTION

11^th December, 2015,

PRESS RELEASE:

MURIC COMMENDS LAGOS GOVT FOR SHUTTING MOSQUES & CHURCHES OVER NOISE POLLUTION

The Lagos State Environment Protection Agency (LASEPA) yesterday announced the shutting down of 53 churches, mosques and hotels in the state over noise pollution. The shut places of worship were accused of constituting nuisance to residents as they use residential places for their religious activities.   

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) gives kudos to LASEPA and the Lagos State Government (LASG) for taking this bold step.

This development is further proof that LASG is ready to walk its talk as Lagos is generally referred to as the center of excellence. It also proves that the state government is committed to the improvement of health of its citizens as well as the maintenance of decorum, civilized living, law and order.

We call on the owners of the affected religious houses, their pastors and Imams as well as Lagosians in general to take the action of LASEPA in good faith and to turn a new leaf. This is no case of victimization or abuse of fundamental human rights.

The fact is that Nigerians are fond of abusing religion. Nigeria is the only country in the world where people hide under the canopy of freedom of religion to infringe on Allah-given fundamental human rights of others.

It is our contention that ignorance, arrogance, callousness, lack of respect for the rule of law as well as crass impunity are factors responsible for noisemaking in places of worship. We therefore invite LASEPA to lay more emphasis on educating Lagosians on the effects of noise pollution on residents.  

Noise pollution has been largely responsible for falling academic standard in schools because noise from places of worship penetrate homes and distract students who are busy doing their school assignments, teachers who are marking their students’ scripts, lecturers who are busy researching in various fields of human endeavour, etc. It is an irony that the children of pastors and Imams who are responsible for the noise are also victims of their parents’ thoughtlessness.

Noisemaking also affects human health. It causes deafness, stress and sleeplessness (which may lead to high blood pressure and hypertension). Sick people who happen to live near places of worship may be sent to their early graves. It also causes poor productivity at work as workers whose sleep is disturbed at home end up dozing or even sleeping in their places of work.

More importantly, noise pollution has been responsible for road accidents and the attendant deaths over the years as motorists fall asleep on the wheel due to their inability to sleep soundly in the night as a result of noise from places of worship in their vicinity.   

We are aware that the 53 affected places of worship are not the only places where pandemonium reigns supreme in Lagos State. In fact there are hundreds of other offenders with whom nemesis has not caught up. We remind the authorities of such religious centers of the long arms of the law.   

MURIC laments the sad phenomenon of religious overzealousness in Nigeria as a whole and that of Lagos in particular. We are nonplussed at the high rate of corruption despite the proliferation of churches and mosques in the land. The leaders who stole billions of dollars which are currently being investigated were shuttling weekly between Jerusalem, Makkah and Abuja. Yet it did not stop them from pocketing our commonwealth and subjecting us to abject poverty.

We therefore charge LASG and its anti-enviromental pollution agency, LASEPA, to go one step further by banning preaching inside commercial vehicles.

It is so widespread that an attempt was even made last week to export it outside Nigeria when a pastor started preaching inside a London bus. Other passengers promptly shouted him down and the driver called in the police when the religious zealot refused to stop preaching.

LASG may also use its propaganda machinery to raise awareness in this regard. Preaching inside commercial vehicles is a keg of gun powder. It has created tension several times in the past and it is capable of causing religious crisis in the near future if the practice is not nipped in the bud.   

MURIC calls on the Lagos State House of Assembly to dust up its enabling laws on the protection of the environment. There should be enabling laws for the prosecution of those who endanger the lives of others by disturbing the peace.

We appeal to religious leaders to organize seminars and workshops for pastors, Imams and all those who manage places of worship. The seminars should come under themes like ‘Live and Let Live’, ‘Positive Use of Religion’, ‘Using Religion For Human Progress’, etc. The discussants should lay emphasis on the need for maintaining decorum and eliminating noise in places of worship.

In conclusion, we commend LASEPA for this bold action. The environmental agency must not relent in its effort to rid Lagos of environmental abuse. We appeal to LASG not to listen to blackmail from any quarter.

Lagos is the Center of Excellence and Lagos must get it right. We appeal to the pastors and Imams in the affected places of worship to take LASEPA’s action in good faith. We urge other places of worship to take the cue. We advise Nigerians to adopt moderation in their practice of religion. Lastly, we invite other states to emulate this great step taken by Lagos State.

Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)
08182119714

MURIC LAUDS BUHARI’S N500BN SOCIAL WELFARE PACKAGE

9^th December, 2015,

PRESS RELEASE:

MURIC LAUDS BUHARI’S N500BN SOCIAL WELFARE PACKAGE

President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday submitted a three-year fiscal policy agenda termed Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) to the Senate in which he proposed a budget of N6.04 trillion for the 2016 fiscal year.

Buhari’s MTEF unveiled a N500 billion social welfare package targeting students, former youth corps members and the vulnerable in society.

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) commends this bold welfare programme. It is unprecedented in the history of our country. This is a real dividend of democracy for the man in the street. With this initiative, Nigeria is well on the way to rubbing shoulders with the big democracies of the world.

We urge the National Assembly to embrace the initiative without any hesitation and to give it a speedy approval. We charge opposition parties to avoid politicizing this package. Unlike the seasonal stomach infrastructure, this programme is capable of encouraging small scale entrepreneurship thereby reducing poverty among Nigerians. It is indeed a budget of hope.  

We call on Nigerians to reciprocate the good gesture of the Buhari administration by supporting the war against corruption and all other projects of the Federal Government. In addition, we charge the Nigerian Labour Congress, Nigerian students, the press and all other progressive unions to rally behind Buhari’s people-friendly administration.

Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)
08182119714