2nd
September, 2022
PRESS RELEASE:
ALLOW
ABUJA-KADUNA TRAIN TO RESUME – MURIC
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has appealed to families of
victims of train attack on the Abuja-Kaduna rail line to allow the train
service to resume.
The appeal was contained in a statement issued on Friday, 2nd
September, 2022 by the director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
The statement reads :
“Bandits attacked the Abuja-Kaduna train on 28th March
2022, killing eight, injuring 26 and kidnapping about 300 passengers. The
bandits have since been releasing their victims in batches and only 23 remain
in captivity (https://dailypost.ng/2022/09/01/23-victims-of-kaduna-abuja-train-attack-still-in-captivity-five-months-after/).
“Attempts by the Nigerian
Railway Corporation to resume operation on the Abuja-Kaduna route was met with
stiff resistance as families of abducted victims vowed to disrupt such
resumption unless the victims were released (https://punchng.com/abductees-families-vow-to-stop-abuja-kaduna-train-resumption/). The status quo has since remained.
“MURIC sympathises with families
of the victims. We feel their pain. It has been traumatizing for every
patriotic Nigerian and they have been praying for the victims. The kidnapped
victims are in our thoughts everyday.
“But no one should politicise
the sad development. It is time to move on. While the Federal Government must
continue to work towards the release of the 23 remaining victims, we must allow
the railway authorities to resume work because thousands of Nigerians who need
the services are being deprived this dividend of democracy on a daily basis. Resumption
of work is therefore in the best interest of a greater majority of Nigerians.
“We must base our actions on the enlightened thought of Jeremy
Bentham (1907) who argued that the moral quality of an action must be judged by
its consequences on human happiness. He therefore concluded that mankind must
aim at the greatest happiness for the greatest number.
“We believe that it is time to apply this principle of governance
and morality to the Abuja-Kaduna train attack imbroglio. It has been a very sad
and unfortunate incident and we solidarise with the victims and their families.
But life must continue particularly in view of the large number of citizens who
are suffering the consequences.
“This is where the families of the victims need to do a rethink and
allow the resumption of the train services. One major reason for this is that
the disruption only serves the interest of the bandits and that of enemies of
Nigeria. The decision to disrupt services was made in May 2022. Four months
have passed since then and the trains have remained grounded.
“That is an integral part of
Nigeria’s infrastructure. If anyone thinks he is depriving President Muhammadu
Buhari of the joy of achievement in the area of railway transportation by
disrupting train services, such a person is making a big mistake. It was
Barrack Obama who said, ‘Hoping your president fails is the same as hoping your
country fails, and it is not patriotism. Patriotism is supporting your
Commander-in-Chief even if you don’t agree with him on everything’.
“Unfortunately it is another vital part of
the anatomy of the North that is bleeding. Transportation facilitates ease of
business and Northern economy loses crucial doses every single day that the
train disruption continues. The families of the train victims should realise
that only a section of the country is suffering as a result of their
protestation. Train services continue to run on the Lagos-Ibadan and
Itakpe-Warri routes.
“That is selective justice. But how much of
this hurts FG? We must put on correct thinking caps and only rational, creative
and progressive caps can make any meaning. We need caps that can enable us to
think like true and patriotic Nigerians.
“People lose their dear ones everyday. Kidnappers
strike everywhere on a daily basis. The families of the victims of kidnapping
and other attacks have never attempted to stop innocent Nigerians from enjoying
the services of either a local or state government on account of such attacks. It
is only in the case of this Abuja-Kaduna train attack that we find families of
the victims turning on the government for a pound of flesh. We are therefore
compelled to think there may be more to the train attack than meets the eyes.
“Unfortunately it is other innocent Nigerians
who are feeling the impact of their demand. This is why we call on those
threatening to disrupt the Abuja-Kaduna train services unless the victims of
the attack are released to drop the demand.
“It is no longer tenable. The threat has
lasted too long without achieving the required result. Schools are still open
and functioning in Chibok and in Borno State in general despite the fact that
majority of the Chibok girls are yet to be released.
“Another bitter truth is that those who
refuse to allow Abuja-Kaduna trains to resume work are not punishing FG. They
are punishing innocent Nigerians. Buhari does not ride this train. Neither does
Amaechi. We need to be reasonable sometimes.
“We appeal to well-meaning Nigerians, groups
and institutions to speak up on this issue. We must speak the truth to the
families or whoever is behind the threat. The Arabs say ‘Silence on abomination is abomination (As-sukuutu ‘ala al-munkar
munkar)’. Malcolm X was thinking along this line when he said, ‘I am for
truth, no matter who says it. I am for justice, no matter who it is for or
against’.
“Late Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto once said, ‘The
greatest weapon is truth’. Isn’t it high time we use that weapon to find
solution to the train impasse? Why are we not hearing any appeal targeted at
the families of the train attack victims? Must thousands of innocent Nigerians
continue to suffer like this?
“The continued silence of stakeholders is not the best. It is true
that we can speak truth to power. But it is not to power alone. We must be
ready to speak truth to the other party too. That is why Samuel Butler (1835 –
1902) said, ‘Silence is not always tact, and it is tact that is golden, not
silence.’
“Permit us to reiterate
that our appeal to families of the victims to allow train services to resume on
the Abuja-Kaduna route should not be
misinterpreted as asking us to forget the victims. FG must continue to seek
ways of securing their release while Nigerians should continue praying for the
safety of the remaining 23 victims.”
Professor Ishaq
Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights
Concern (MURIC)
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