12th
June, 2019
JUNE 12 RECOGNITION WILL
IMMORTALISE BUHARI
President Muhammadu
Buhari this week signed the June 12 bill into law, thus making it Nigeria’s
official Democracy Day. The signing of the bill also has the effect of
rendering May 29 redundant in the annals of the history of democracy in
Nigeria.
Meanwhile the Muslim
Rights Concern (MURIC) has applauded President Buhari for making the
recognition of June 12 a fait accompli. In a statement issued by its
Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola on Wednesday 12th June, 2019, MURIC
hailed Buhari for coming out boldly in support of truth, justice and fair play.
“President Muhammadu Buhari is the hero of the moment. He
deserves accolades for coming out boldly to do what several regimes lacked the
guts to do. Buhari is a genuine democrat, a patriot nulli secundus and a
statesman primus inter pareil.
“As for May 29, it
is good riddance to the bad rubbish that was fraudulently contrived as
democracy day. That date had never truly reflected the spirit of nationalism in
this country and it had never been accepted by true democrats and June 12
activists North and South of Nigeria.
“June 12, 1993 election which was won by Chief Moshood
Kashimowo Abiola (MKO) was by far the fairest, most peaceful and most
democratic election held in Nigeria to date. Its annulment by the Babangida regime
was criminal, myopic and counter-productive while the incarceration of MKO and his
eventual assassination were the heights of tyranny. But the military dictator, Gen.
Sanni Abacha (rtd), out-heroded Herod by masterminding the killing of MKO’s
wife, Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, while the husband was still in captivity.
“It is these acts of
totalitarian tyranny and extreme inhumanity which make Buhari’s act of
benevolence stand out and characterized his administration with a real human
face and an embodiment of good governance. It must be noted that successive administrations
have ignored all appeals to recognize this momentous Day, including those who
benefited most from the June 12 struggle.
“That is why Nigerians
have given all civilian regimes since 1999 a thumbs-down except the Buhari administration.
This also explains why Afenifere has become irrelevant in the political
architecture in the South West. The Yorubas have discovered that they have
benefited nothing from Afeniferisation which has come to mean retrogression, negativism
and parochialism.
“For who could have
thought that succor and honour would come to the Yoruba nation from the least
expected source, a Fulani man, a ‘Jibril from Sudan’ as President Buhari was
mischievously described after his amazing recovery from his mysterious illness?
We do not need to tell the Yoruba race what to do since to whom much is given,
much also is expected.
“This singular act, i.e. Buhari’s recognition of June 12,
also proves that criminality or righteousness is not the monopoly of any single
tribe in Nigeria. As we have the Evans in kidnapping, the Oyenusi’s in armed
robbery and the Shekaus in Bokoharamism, so do we have the Buhari’s in good
governance, the Oloyedes in transparency and the Tony Elumelus in business
acumen. We should therefore desist from ethnic and religious profiling. Fulanisation,
Islamisation, Afeniferisation and Biafrisation exist only in nomenclature. They
are mere figments of imagination coined by mischievous subjects, unscrupulous
elements and enemies of progress.
“The most important lesson in the June 12 affair lies in
its font et origo in 1993 and its resurrection in 2018/2019. Unlike the current
situation where Nigerians surrender themselves to gymnastic religiousity and ethnic
bigotry, June 12 by origin symptomized Nigeria’s
unity in diversity as Nigerians sank ethnic and religious bias to vote for a
Muslim-Muslim ticket. But destiny has again brought Nigerians together in
2018/2019 as a Northerner and Fulani man excavated a seemingly dead June 12 and
breathed life into it.
“MURIC charges Nigerians
to seize this unique opportunity to sink all prejudices. By proclaiming June 12
as our Democracy Day, President Muhammadu Buhari has brought hope of survival
to the Nigerian project. This singular action is a sign of good things ahead
particularly for groups who still feel marginalized. Buhari knows where it
pinches and he will address all grievances.
“It therefore
behoves every Nigerian citizen to cooperate with the Buhari administration. We
advise aggrieved groups to adopt dialogue and eschew violence. Our voices are
being heard. The fact that Buhari ignored powerful enemies of June 12 to give
the latter recognition means that we have a leader who is prepared to damn the
consequences in the quest for justice. All we need to do is to remain peaceful,
law-abiding, hardworking and prayerful.
“As a parting shot, we remind Nigerians that President
Muhammadu Buhari is gradually and steadily laying the solid foundation for a
cohesive, virile and united Nigeria. Posterity will no doubt remember him as
the Father of Modern Nigeria. We urge politicians to halt unhealthy politicking
and to think Nigeria first. We call upon Nigerians to shun ethnic jingoism and
religious particularism”.
Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)
No comments:
Post a Comment