COURT SACKS ANOTHER GOVERNOR IN NIGERIA

27th November, 2010

PRESS RELEASE:

OSHUN GUBER JUDGEMENT: MANY RIVERS TO CROSS

The Court of Appeal in Ibadan yesterday ruled in favour of Rauf Aregbesola in the gubernatorial case between him and former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola. Aregbesola will be sworn in any moment from now. It will be recalled that similar cases of judicial defeat have occurred in Edo, Ekiti, Ondo, etc.

What is disturbing, however, is the length of time spent in power by usurpers and electoral kleptomaniacs. Adams Oshiomole, Fayemi, Aregbesola et al were all illegally kept out of the Edo government house for periods ranging between one year and three and a half years.
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) considers this anomaly as preposterous, outrageous and therefore unacceptable. MURIC proposes a radical amendment of the electoral reform that will ensure that all electoral disputes are disposed of before alleged winners are sworn in. The present arrangement allows political armed robbers to enjoy their illegal loots to the chagrin of legitimate winners of elections.
We recall the attempts of the Oshun State government to manipulate the situation. Aregbesola, the legitimate winner, was hounded from pillar to post. With the connivance of the police, a fraudulent case of forgery was slammed on him. He was even declared wanted at a stage. The question is: what is the next step now that the Appeal Court has declared him winner? Should his oppressors who are the real fraud go scott free?
MURIC is of the humble opinion that the time has come to make vote thieves accountable, including those who collude with them. This is necessary in order to serve as deterrent. Oyinlola must cough out every illegal earning he received while illegally occupying another citizen’s seat.
The judiciary has helped Nigerians to identify the real enemies of the people. This latest judgements against sitting governors have exposed the cogs in the wheel of progress in our dear country. Democracy is good but it is easy to turn into tyranny in the hands of political terrorists. Now Nigerians must know why there is no steady power supply; why there are no drugs in the hospitals; why education in Nigeria has turned into nightmare and why Nigerian roads are the best death traps in the whole world. It is simply because the real candidates voted for by majority of Nigerians are often cheated. The thin façade on the faces of the cheats are now being removed by the judiciary.
Yesterday’s judgement is unique in a special way. It is a case study in military/civilian confrontation in the political arena. Those who thought only retired soldiers possess the tactical know-how to wade through the mine-laden political field of Nigeria have been proved wrong afterall. MURIC lauds the doggedness of Rauf Aregbesola, the civilian strategist who cubbed the excesses of retired army general Olagunsoye Oyinlola.
Dr. Is-haq Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)
234-818-211-9714

IDENTIFYING TRUE LEADERS IN NIGERIA

IDENTIFY LEADERS WHO ARE READY TO SACRIFICE

As Muslims worldwide prepare to celebrate the Id al-Kabir, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) felicitates with all Nigerians who are witnessing this monumental occasion. Although a major aspect of the festival is the sacrifice of rams, the lessons go beyond ordinary pecuniary expenses incurred in the purchase of the sacrificial animal.

Individual devotees who have stressed themselves financially to ensure that they also bought rams to be slaughtered on Salah day are simply emulating Prophet Ibrahim who obediently offered his own son (Ismail) as sacrifice to Allah and almost slaughtered him before the son was replaced with a ram. This great service is what has inspired Muslims on an annual basis to offer rams as sacrifice.


The great lesson here for Nigerian politicians is that the leader’s altruistic proclivities ignited in the followers a readiness to make sacrifices. Prophet Ibrahim’s readiness to surrender even his own son for sacrifice has encouraged his followers to emulate him by sacrificing animals on Salah day.


MURIC therefore charges Nigeria’s leaders to be prepared to make sacrifices. We have no doubt that if the citizens see that the leaders are making sacrifices, they too will follow suit. Things continue to fall apart in this country today because the leadership lacks this vital sense of sacrifice. The centre cannot hold in Nigeria today because Nigerians hear and read reports about the greed and licenciousness of their leaders. The falcon cannot hear the falconer in Nigeria today because Nigerians watch their leaders wasting the wealth of the nation while the citizenry languish in abject poverty.


The recent jumbo pay announced for past leaders is a case in point. That decision is reckless, ridiculous and preposterous. Coming at a time when the minimum wage still remains N7,500 and labour’s demand for an increase of this to N18,000 has been rejected by the Federal Government, the announcement exposes the hypocrisy of our leaders. It is grossly immoral. The wise decision is to reward past leaders whose records remain clean and whose progenies appear in dire need of financial help. It is most provoking to dream of jumbo pay for a military dictator like Abacha whose stolen loot is capable of buying up the Central Bank itself. MURIC urges the National Assembly to revise its decision on jumbo pay for past leaders.


We affirm that Nigeria’s problems will persist until the citizens identify and follow those who are ready to make sacrifices. The leaders’ sacrifices will inspire the rest of us. Only thus can we build a nation where peace and justice shall reign.


Finally, MURIC calls on Nigerians to make ‘sacrifice’ the keyword in the 2011 elections. The electorate must finger selfless leaders and vote for them. We must reject leaders who want to rule Nigeria while their own children are in cosy environments in Europe and America. Nigerians must rebuff candidates who jet out of the country to treat the slightest headache. Such candidates cannot be interested in revamping our ailing health sector.


Dr. Is-haq Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)
234-818-211-9714

NIGERIA GENERAL ELECTIONS: FEMALE MUSLIM CANDIDATES

25th October, 2010

PRESS RELEASE:

MUSLIM WOMEN AND 2011 ELECTIONS

The Nigerian nation is making preparations for the next general elections which are expected to take place in the year 2011. Already, new political parties are being formed and registered while candidates are emerging across the country for the presidential, gubernatorial, the National Assembly as well as local government councils. Notable among the emerging candidates are Muslim women.

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) wishes to make it clear that Islam permits Muslims to engage in politics, to vote and be voted for, to exercise their civic rights and to fulfill their civic responsibilities. Homo sapiens are seen in Islam as vicegerents of Allah. According to the Glorious Qur’an, sovereignty belongs to Allah (Qur’an 2:107, 3:26, 189; 5:17, 40; etc).

All rulers, from the president of Nigeria to the chairmen of local governments are proxies of Allah (Qur’an 6:165; 10:14, 73; 35:39; 7:69; etc). Islam holds that leaders will be held accountable for their deeds and misdeeds Yaom al-Qiyamah (the Day of Judgement).

It therefore behoves Muslim politicians to play the game according to the dictates of their faith, not according to their whims and caprices. In this regard, MURIC urges Muslim women not to shy away from politics. Female Muslim aspirants should pursue their legitimate and Islam-compliant dreams with vigour. We call on the husbands of such aspirants to support their wives morally and financially.

 

However, MURIC wishes to remind female Muslim aspirants of an important proviso in their engagement in politics, namely, that a Muslim woman is not permitted to aspire to be president of Nigeria or governor of a state. She is free to contest for the posts of vice president or deputy governor. The wrong impression must not be created that Muslim women are second class citizens. Nay, they are special creatures. Women are to be honoured. They are the mothers of society. Allah made them mothers, not fathers.

Fathers are heads of families. Just as fathers cannot become mothers, the mothers must not seek to play the role of fathers. Muslim women are the protectors of mankind and sustainers of nobility. The emergence of women who seek to turn the natural order is responsible for the present turmoil in society: high rate of crime, lack of respect for human life, loss of compassion among mankind, greed of unimaginable proportion, broken marriages, child abuse, etc. The only solution to the confusion in the world today is for the woman to go back to her traditional role of a true mother of the society.

We therefore appeal to female Muslim aspirants who are eyeing the highest political posts in the country or in their states to reconsider their stands and respect their faith. Failure to step down from such high aspiration tantamounts to aggression against Allah and arrogance before their creator. Refusal to abide by this Islamic tradition will be regarded as a belligerent confrontation of Muslim voters and the outcome can only be overwhelming defeat. MURIC will mobilize Muslim voters against female Muslim aspirants who transgress the limit. We will ensure that they lose with ignominy.

Finally, we warn the various political parties in the country to resist the temptation of fielding Muslim women for the highest posts at both the presidential and governorship levels. Any political party that ignores this warning stands the risk of losing the votes of Muslims to other parties.

Dr. Is-haq Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)
234-818-211-9714

APPEAL COURT RULING ON EKITI GOVERNORSHIP

18th October, 2010

PRESS RELEASE:

EKITI GOVERNORSHIP JUDGEMENT: WE RUN A DEFECTIVE LEGAL SYSTEM

The Court of Appeal in its latest judgement on Friday ruled that the Action Congress of Nigeria (CAN) candidate Dr. Kayode Fayemi on the largest number of votes in the 2007 gubernatorial election in the state. Fayemi was therefore sworn in as Ekiti governor on Saturday. It will be recalled that similar court judgements on elections had taken place in other states of the federation in the past.

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) salutes the judiciary for this bold pronouncement. The fact that the judgement is unanimous among the five judges is a serious indictment on the system which perpetuated this illegality. We congratulate the newly sworn-in governor on his well-deserved victory and laud his steadfastness in the struggle for justice.


MURIC is however deeply disturbed by the paradox of Nigeria’s electoral laws which make it possible for a loser to retain a stolen mandate for as long as three and a half years out of a four-year tenure. Justice delayed is justice denied. It is a sad commentary on Nigeria’s party-politics. It is alarming that the definition of our own democracy is now seen as ‘government of the loser by the rigger for the tiny cabal’. This is contrary to the dream of the founders of the Nigerian nation. It is also a sharp contradiction of the generally accepted meaning of democracy everywhere in the world. Nigeria’s democracy is a sham.


This judgement and the attendant revelations and implications have once again exposed the National Assembly and its procrastination tactics on the amendment of the Electoral Act. Nigerians must put their representatives to task. Now we know why the chairman Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, raised an alarm on the issue of the Electoral Act. The status quo is designed to benefit political charlatans and recycled tyrants to retain stolen mandates ad infinitum.


MURIC challenges the National Assembly to publish within seven days facts and reasons delaying the amendment of the Electoral Act or be declared ‘accessories after the fact’. It is our humble opinion that the rigging of the 2011 elections may well have started and the principle of ‘one man one vote’ may remain a dream in Nigeria for a very long time.


Dr. Is-haq Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)
234-803-346-4974

NEW BOMB THREAT IN ABUJA, NIGERIA

15th October, 2010



PRESS RELEASE:


NEW MEND BOMB THREAT: AN ILL WIND

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) allegedly issued another bomb threat yesterday, Friday 15th October, 2010. According to the militant group, another bomb would soon explode in Abuja. It however promised to issue a thirty minute warning before the explosion to allow evacuation.


We sympathize with the people of the Niger Delta and identify with their legitimate demands. Successive governments of this country have exploited the region to enrich an infinitesimally small group of capitalist comprador bourgeoisie. The reckless rape committed on the resources of the region coupled with acts of dehumanization, oppression and persecution of activists from the region resulted in the militarization of Niger Delta youths to the level that we are witnessing today.

Nonetheless, we condemn acts of violence aimed at nonmilitary targets. MEND should reappraise its attack strategies. Exploding bombs capable of endangering innocent civilians is totally unacceptable. Indiscriminate use of explosives is capable of robbing MEND of the moral support which it enjoys among members of the civil society as well as the generality of Nigerians as a whole.

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) reaffirms its avowed stand against violence. It will only lead to the death of innocent people and the destruction of properties belonging to ordinary citizens. All but a few vehicles destroyed in the October 1 blasts belonged to ordinary citizens who may not be able to replace them for some time. Violence leads to a vicious cycle of further violence. It is an ill wind that blows no one any good.


We advise MEND leaders to sheath their sword so that the ongoing amnesty programme may take proper shape. We call on the Federal Government to expedite action on the Niger Delta question in the interest of peace, justice and progress. We assert that addressing the grudges of the Niger Delta people is the road to justice and fair play. Bold steps must be taken by government to show its seriousness. Those who want peace and security must not play with the future of people. Justice is the soul of peace.


Dr. Is-haq Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)
234-803-346-4974

THREAT TO FREE AND FAIR ELECTION IN NIGERIA

                                                                                            5th October, 2010

PRESS RELEASE:

ARREST OF DOKPESI: THREAT TO FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS IN NIGERIA 

Nigerian security agents have confirmed the arrest of nine suspects for their alleged roles in the bomb blasts which occurred in Abuja on October 1, 2010, the nation’s independence day. The explosions killed eight people instantly and injured many others. Two of those critically injured have reportedly died in the hospital. Another twist in the ongoing investigation into the terror attack is the alleged arrest of Chief Raymond Dokpesi, Chairman of the Ibrahim Babangida Campaign Committee. Dokpesi was invited by security agents on Sunday 3rd October.






The alleged arrest and subsequent detention of Dokpesi must attract the attention of the Nigerian civil society in view of his current position as a key figure in the opposition camp flying the campaign flag of General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (rtd), a former Nigerian military head of state. Babangida is one of the presidential aspirants challenging the incumbent, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, in the 2011 presidential election.






This arrest is capable of throwing fear into the hearts of opposition figures, leaving a clear field for the incumbent. Such a development constitutes blatant rape of democracy since a free and fair election can no longer be guaranteed. The Nigerian government is already double-speaking. Jonathan exonerates the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), which issued a warning thirty minutes before the blast and also made a post-explosion claim of responsibility. Yet the same government gave the green light to the South African authorities to arrest, detain and charge MEND leader, Henry Okha to court for the blasts.






The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) charges the Nigerian government to eschew political vendetta and witch-hunting. Government must avoid strong-arm tactics in dealing with the opposition. Throwing the opposition campaign team into disarray is an old trick used by those who will not brook opposition and intolerance of opposition is the hallmark of dictatorship. The Nigerian security agencies must not be turned into an African Gestapo if the dream of true reform of the Nigerian society is to be realized. The arrest of Dokpesi has sent wrong signals not only to Nigerians at home and in the diaspora but also to the international society.






We call the attention of African states and Western powers to the fact that the five evil things of which Chamberlain spoke are rearing their ugly heads in Nigeria: brute force, bad faith, injustice, oppression and persecution.






MURIC reminds the security agency holding Chief Dokpesi of the need to respect the rule of law as well as his Allah-given and fundamental human rights. The suspect must be charged to court and not detained ad infinitum. We call on civil society, well-meaning Nigerians and the international community to speak up now before it is too late.






Finally, MURIC affirms that Dokpesi’s arrest has robbed the electioneering process of its credibility. He must therefore be set free. It is also capable of throwing spanners in the works of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and discourage intellectuals and men of goodwill hoping to cooperate with the agency. Nigerian men and women of conscience may not want to touch politics and electioneering matters with a long pole if the opposition continues to be silenced.






Dr. Is-haq Akintola,


Director,


Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)


234-803-346-4974



THREAT TO FREE AND FAIR ELECTION IN NIGERIA

5th October, 2010

PRESS RELEASE:

ARREST OF DOKPESI: THREAT TO FREE AND FAIR ELECTION

Nigerian security agents have confirmed the arrest of nine suspects for their alleged roles in the bomb blasts which occurred in Abuja on October 1, 2010, the nation’s independence day. The explosions killed eight people instantly and injured many others. Two of those critically injured have reportedly died in the hospital. Another twist in the ongoing investigation into the terror attack is the alleged arrest of Chief Raymond Dokpesi, Chairman of the Ibrahim Babangida Campaign Committee. Dokpesi was invited by security agents on Sunday 3rd October.



The alleged arrest and subsequent detention of Dokpesi must attract the attention of the Nigerian civil society in view of his current position as a key figure in the opposition camp flying the campaign flag of General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (rtd), a former Nigerian military head of state. Babangida is one of the presidential aspirants challenging the incumbent, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, in the 2011 presidential election.



This arrest is capable of throwing fear into the hearts of opposition figures, leaving a clear field for the incumbent. Such a development constitutes blatant rape of democracy since a free and fair election can no longer be guaranteed. The Nigerian government is already double-speaking. Jonathan exonerates the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), which issued a warning thirty minutes before the blast and also made a post-explosion claim of responsibility. Yet the same government gave the green light to the South African authorities to arrest, detain and charge MEND leader, Henry Okha to court for the blasts.



The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) charges the Nigerian government to eschew political vendetta and witch-hunting. Government must avoid strong-arm tactics in dealing with the opposition. Throwing the opposition campaign team into disarray is an old trick used by those who will not brook opposition and intolerance of opposition is the hallmark of dictatorship. The Nigerian security agencies must not be turned into an African Gestapo if the dream of true reform of the Nigerian society is to be realized. The arrest of Dokpesi has sent wrong signals not only to Nigerians at home and in the diaspora but also to the international society.



We call the attention of African states and Western powers to the fact that the five evil things of which Chamberlain spoke are rearing their ugly heads in Nigeria: brute force, bad faith, injustice, oppression and persecution.



MURIC reminds the security agency holding Chief Dokpesi of the need to respect the rule of law as well as his Allah-given and fundamental human rights. The suspect must be charged to court and not detained ad infinitum. We call on civil society, well-meaning Nigerians and the international community to speak up now before it is too late.



Finally, MURIC affirms that Dokpesi’s arrest has robbed the electioneering process of its credibility. He must therefore be set free. It is also capable of throwing spanners in the works of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and discourage intellectuals and men of goodwill hoping to cooperate with the agency. Nigerian men and women of conscience may not want to touch politics and electioneering matters with a long pole if the opposition continues to be silenced.



Dr. Is-haq Akintola,

Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)

234-803-346-4974