25th September, 2018
PRESS RELEASE:
POSERS
FOR ADELEKE OF OSUN STATE
The gubernatorial election
which was held in Osun State on Saturday 22nd September, 2018 was
declared inconclusive and a new date, Thursday 27th September, 2018
has been fixed for a re-run.
According to the Muslim
Rights Concern (MURIC) in a press statement issued on Tuesday, 25th
September, 2018 and signed by its director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, its
office has been inundated with complaints from its members in Osun state who
fear a raw deal in the event of Senator Adeleke emerging winner after the
re-run.
“Our members are
apprehensive. There is this information that Senator Adeleke pledged to return
mission schools to their owners if he becomes governor of Osun. We don’t peddle
rumour. We are therefore using this medium to ascertain the veracity of the
report. The distinguished senator has ample time to issue a disclaimer now.
“The question is very
simple, did you promise to return mission schools to their owners? The
implications are very serious when considered against the background of the
running battle over the mission schools between the Christians and Muslims in
the state in the past eight years.
“To assure Nigerians that
this is not just a conjecture of MURIC or our concern alone, the Muslim Community
of Osun State had earlier raised the alarm on this matter. In a widely publicized
press conference of 8th September, 2018, the president, Osun State
Muslim Community, Alhaji Mustapha Olawuyi, said inter alia:
‘One of them has been using ‘return of schools to missionaries
as one of his campaign promises. We are aware that this is a gimmick to swindle
the public. You can’t return the property that belongs to all of us to a
mission just because such schools bear mission names. We are all aware of
massive investments of public fund in these schools after it had been taken
over soon after independence with full compensation. We have told him to forget
it. Even if he has a pact with any group, it won’t fly. Any politician that
tries it will regret it.’
“As far as MURIC is concerned, we see a big threat to
religious freedom for Muslims if a candidate has entered into a pact with
Christians leaders to return schools to the missions. If Adeleke has a pact
with Christian leaders, what agreement does he have with the Muslims? He may be
taking Osun Muslims for a ride. He has to explain.
“He was only known as Senator Ademola Adeleke prior to his
emergence as candidate but suddenly he became ‘Nurudeen’. Our strong suspicion
is that this ‘Nurudeen’ converted to Christianity a long time ago but he now
finds it mandatory to portray himself as a Muslim in order to deceive gullible
Muslims. He appeared on Id ground during Salah. But that should not surprise
anyone because even Fayose attended Salah prayer wearing a turban. But why must
politicians deceive Muslims this way? We charge Senator Adeleke to elucidate on
this.
“A second poser to which the distinguished senator must
respond before the re-run on Thursday is the repression of Muslim students in
Adeleke University, Ede, Osun State. MURIC has petitions from Muslim students
in the institution. They complain of religious discrimination, forceful
attendance of church services and refusal to allow them to worship as Muslims.
“Our question to Senator Adeleke on this is also very simple.
Distinguished Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria sir, what is your
connection with Adeleke University? We are aware that Dr. Deji Adeleke who
happens to be the senator’s brother, is the Pro-Chancellor of the institution.
“Given the passion with which members of the Adeleke family
have thrown their weight behind the senator’s political ambition, can the
distinguished senator separate his policies on education as a prospective governor
of Osun State from that of the university? Are Muslims in the state not going
to come under the sledge hammer just as Muslim students are facing persecution
in Adeleke University?”
MURIC also raised issues on the hijab affair. “The road to
freedom to use hijab in public schools was rough and hard. We doubt if Muslims
in the state will be ready to tolerate a reverse in case an anti-Muslim
governor emerges winner. The president of Osun State Muslim Community expatiated
on this:
‘Again, this is a back door approach to banish hijab from public
schools. We have seen hate and lack of religious tolerance displayed in the
Adeleke University Ede and the Bowen University in Iwo. And as the majority
group in Osun, we will not fold our hands and allow that happen in our schools.
It will be resisted with full force. We just fought for hijab for three years,
so anyone who intends to mitigate our rights or oppress us should forget his
ambition to become a governor in this state. In Osun State, we are aware of our
rights and we have enlightened populace.’
If it is true that a pledge was made to return schools to
the missionaries, then religion has been introduced into the politics of Osun
state. Therefore, nobody should tell MURIC not to intervene in the politics of
Osun state. This is not about supporting any political party. Our members are
spread across all the political parties but our interest lies in the protection
of the Allah-given fundamental rights of Muslims.
To round off, we implore the distinguished senator to expatiate
upon the issues raised above and allow the Osun electorate to decide the rest.
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)
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