MAKE EDUCATION SECTOR MODEL OF EXCELLENCE: MURIC TELLS LAGOS GOVT

 

18^th August, 2020                             

PRESS RELEASE:

MAKE EDUCATION SECTOR MODEL OF EXCELLENCE:

MURIC TELLS LAGOS GOVT 

 

The Nigerian Islamic human rights organisation, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has appealed to the Lagos State government (LASG) to revisit the education sector with a view to correcting the glaring lop-sidedness in the appointment of tutor-generals and school principals. MURIC also raised the issue of many qualified Muslim teachers on grade level 17 who are still marking time when they should have been appointed principals.

 

 

“The Director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola, made the appeal in a statement issued on Tuesday, 18^th August, 2020.

 

 

The statement reads:

 

“Lagos State has been divided into six education districts since the days of Chief Bola Tinubu. Each education district has a tutor general/permanent secretary saddled with the responsibility of overseeing the activities of the schools and their personnel. Tinubu, a Muslim, ensured fairness by sharing the six posts 50:50 between Muslims and Christians.

 

“Akinwunmi Ambode made it 4:2 in favour of Christians. The tricky game employed was to appoint some Muslims who have long converted to Christianity but who retained their Muslim names. It would then appear as if Muslims were appointed yet they were cleverly shortchanged.

 

 

“Under Governor Babajide Sanwoolu today there is no single Muslim tutor-general. There is also an uneven distribution of heads of department in the six districts. There are five departments in each district with a head of department (HOD) directing its affairs. So there are thirty (30) HODs in all. These HODs are part of the management team. Unfortunately there are only five (5) Muslim HODs out of the thirty (30).

 

 

“A research conducted in 2019 to know the distribution of school principals between Christians and Muslims resulted in the table below:

 

 

 

 

 

S/N	DISTRICT	NO. OF PRINCIPALS	NO. OF CHRISTIAN PRINCIPALS	NO. OF MUSLIM PRINCIPALS
1	I	99	91	8
2	II	105	92	13
3	III	130	95	35
4	IV	94	76	18
5	V	136	117	19
6	VI	104	94	10
	TOTAL	668	565	103

 

 

A quick analysis of the above table shows that there are six hundred and sixty eight (668) principals in Lagos State public schools. Of this number, five hundred and sixty-five (565) are Christians while only one hundred and three (103) are Muslims.  This implies that Christian principals are 84.6% while Muslim principals are 15. 4%. Like in the case of tutor-generals, some principals who have long converted to Christianity but who retained their Muslim names were made principals while the real Muslims are left to rot in the system.

 

 

“What is the implication of this imbalance? Firstly, tutor-generals influence the appointment of school principals but anybody can guess what will happen in a situation where all the tutor-generals are Christians. Again, the use of hijab in public schools is largely determined by the disposition of school principals. Since the ratio is 84:15, it becomes clear why majority of the school principals disallow the use of hijab in their schools despite a subsisting court judgement in favour of its use.

 

 

“MURIC calls for the appointment of more Muslims as school principals. We lay emphasis on the appointment of real Muslims and not Muslims who have converted but retained their Muslim names. This should not be difficult if the authorities consult leaders of the Muslim Teachers Association (MUTAN). We believe that our call is timely and it is more so particularly when the state government has recently invited applications into the position of TG/PS and it is poised to recruit more teachers.

 

 

 

“The question of nonavalability of qualified Muslims does not arise because Lagos is replete with hundreds of well qualified and competent Muslims who are yearning for the opportunity to exhibit their potentials. In addition, many Muslim teachers who are on grade level 17 appear to have been placed on redundancy as they are not appointed as principals or vice principals. Their list can easily be obtained from the leadership of MUTAN or that of the Lagos State Muslim Community.

 

 

“There is also lop-sidedness in favour of Christians in the manner school assemblies are conducted. Most schools give Christians four days (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) while Muslims have Friday alone. Some allow Muslims to use Thursday and Friday. For fairness, we suggest that Christians should be given two days (Monday and Tuesday), Muslims should also have two days (Thursday and Friday) while Wednesday should be left for Yoruba assembly.     

 

 

“Our appeal to the Lagos State government is to make the education sector a model of excellence in keeping with the status of Lagos as the centre of excellence. Lagos has always been in the forefront of liberal policies, improved workers’ welfare, modernisation and other forms of human progress.

 

 

“This is not praise-singing. The records are there for all to applaud Lagos. Apart from Enugu in 1980, Lagos was one of the first states to establish a state university (1984), the first to increase maternity leave to six months, the first to build an atlantic city (Eko Atlantic), the first to introduce local council development areas (LCDA) and many more pacesetting initiatives. Lagos leads, others follow.

 

 

“MURIC is known to have lodged certain complaints against some states in Nigeria concerning their treatment of Muslims. It will therefore be another ‘first’ and another feather in Lagos’ cap if the state’s education authorities address the issues raised above before others do so.

 

 

“We recall that the Lagos Muslim Community under the able leadership of Professor T.G.O. Gbadamosi and the Chief Imam of Lagos, His Eminence, Engr Sulaimon Oluwatoyin Abou Noula, raised some of these issues in the presence of the incumbent governor during the 2019 electoral campaigns. We honestly believe that it is high time they were addressed.”

 

 

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)

 

MURIC THANKS OYO TESCOM CHAIRMAN

 

16^th August, 2020                             

PRESS RELEASE:

MURIC THANKS OYO TESCOM CHAIRMAN 

 

The Chairman of Oyo State Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) yesterday reacted to the allegation of Christianising the CBT test held on Tuesday, 11^th August, 2020. The allegation was made by an Islamic human rights association, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) on Friday, 14^th August, 2020. MURIC alleged that Muslim candidates were made to answer questions on biblical stories.

 

 

But in a swift reaction, the Executive Chairman of Oyo TESCOM, Pastor Akinade Alamu, issued a press statement in which it explained that the incident was not deliberate. Oyo TESCOM blamed computer technicalities. It also said some Christian candidates were given questions on Islamic knowledge. TESCOM statement was signed by its Permanent Secretary, Grace Olabisi Oderinde (https://www.independent.ng/muslims-will-not-be-graded-for-crk-content-in-cbt-oyotescom-replies-muric/FYI).

 

 

However, MURIC has reacted positively to the development. In a statement issued on Sunday, 16^th August, 2020, the Director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola, commended the Executive Chairman of TESCOM for his exemplary behaviour. MURIC thanked Pastor Akinade Alamu for addressing the core issue raised by the human rights association.

 

 

He continued, “Pastor Akinade comes across as the type of leader we need in this country. Nigeria needs a leader who is sensitive to the feelings of the people. We need a leader who will not ignore complaints but who will confront them frontally. The solution offered by Oyo TESCOM to our complaint may not be perfect, but nobody can fault the military dispatch with which it was addressed. We thank Pastor Akinade Alamu for displaying high level maturity.

 

 

“Instead of abusing or threatening us, instead of hiring a fiction story writer or fraudulently forming a fictitious 24-hour ‘Islamic’ organisation to start a dirty fight (just what some have done to hide their glaring oppression of Muslims), Pastor Akinade Alamu studied our grievance and took time to come up with a panacea. He set aside religious differences. He addressed the message and not the messenger. His language was refined, civil, diplomatic and parliamentarian. This is really commendable.

 

 

“Here is a big lesson for the governors of Ogun, Oyo, Ondo and Ekiti whose reactions to our criticisms have been undemocratic and nonconventional. The case of Oyo TESCOM and MURIC has proved that propaganda is not public relations. Leaders can stoop to conquer. Those in charge of public relations in public or private organisations must know this. Image makers must learn to respect the other side. Grandstanding and name-calling can only lead to the escalation of the crisis.

 

 

“MURIC will remain faithful to its motto, ‘Dialogue, Not Violence’. We are open to discussions before, during or after opening an issue. We are not rigid. Neither are we extremists. It is only our dectractors who want to give us a bad name. We will continue to peacefully coexist with our neighbours but on equal terms of mutual respect, i.e. without compromising Allah-given fundamental rights of Muslims.”

 

 

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)

 

MURIC CONDEMNS CHRISTIANISATION OF OYO TESCOM EXAMINATION

 

14^th August, 2020                             

PRESS RELEASE:

MURIC CONDEMNS CHRISTIANISATION OF OYO TESCOM EXAMINATION 

 

A Nigerian Islamic human rights association, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has accusMURIC CONDEMNS CHRISTIANISATION OF OYO TESCOM EXAMINATION  

ssion (TESCOM) of Christianising the CBT examination organised to screen applicants for teaching appointments in the state. MURIC alleged that Muslim candidates were made to answer questions on biblical stories.

 

 

The allegation was contained in a press statement made available to pressmen on Friday, 14^th August, 2020 by the Director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

 

 

The statement reads:

 

“Muslims who took part in the CBT examination organised by the Oyo State TESCOM were shocked when questions on Christian Religious Knowledge (CRK or BK) surfaced among the questions. They had earlier received information that candidates would be tested in Mathematics, English Language, Current Affairs, Knowledge of Teaching Education and the candidate’s special area. But to their dismay, they found questions on CRK like explaining how Moses was a shepherd to his father-in-law and how Elijah was thrown into the fire.

 

 

“These CRK questions have the potential of putting Muslim candidates at great disadvantage while Christian candidates are most likely to score high marks. This will eventually lead to the disqualification of Muslim candidates and the employment of Christian teachers. The bias becomes more pronounced when it is realised that no Islamic knowledge question was asked to create a balance.

 

 

“MURIC frowns at this lopsided arrangement. It is grossly unfair to Muslims. It should be noted that this is an exercise which has direct bearing on the welfare of the candidates’ families. The implications are far-reaching, including a calculated attempt to impoverish Muslim families while Christian families are enriched.

 

 

“We therefore reject the exercise. We call on the state governor to order TESCOM to conduct another CBT examination. We are astounded by the level of Christianisation going on in Oyo state agencies since the appointment of Christian chairmen and directors.

 

 

“We call the attention of Nigerians and the international community to this episode. It is a pointer to what has been going on in most South West states. Muslims have been turned into underdogs. Unfortunately those who complain among us are labelled as terrorists. We are threatened with assassination and blackmailed as receivers of funds from terrorist groups. All these in an effort to get those who oppose the persecution of Muslims out of the way so that the oppressors can continue in their evil ways ad infinitum.

 

 

“For the umpteenth time, MURIC affirms that threats of assassination, blackmail, character assassination, falsehood and forgeries aimed at implicating MURIC will not deter it from speaking for the oppressed and marginalised Muslims anywhere in Nigeria.

 

 

“In our concluding remarks, we denounce the imposition of bible questions on Muslims. We appeal to the governor of Oyo State to order a resit of the CBT examination on a level playing ground.”  

 

 

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)

 

 

ISWAP MONEY: MURIC UNCOVERS SOURCE OF FAKE NEWS: DEMANDS PUBLIC APOLOGY FROM EX-MAJOR

 

12^th August, 2020                             

PRESS RELEASE:

ISWAP MONEY: MURIC UNCOVERS SOURCE OF FAKE NEWS: DEMANDS PUBLIC APOLOGY FROM EX-MAJOR

 

The Islamic human rights association, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) which was accused of collecting money from a terrorist group, the Islamic State for West Africa Province (ISWAP), says it has uncovered the source of the fake news. MURIC pointed accusing finger at a retired major in the Nigerian Army, Layo Akinlade Tunde. MURIC has demanded a public apology from the ex-major.

A press statement signed by MURIC’s Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, on Wednesday, 12^th August, 2020, described the story as unfounded rumour and fake news triggered by Islamophobia.

 

 

“It is Muslim-haters exploiting the gullibility of Nigerians. The fake news came from a retired major in the Nigerian Army, Layo Akinlade Tunde. He sent the post to a social media group known as ‘The Voice of Omo-Oba Onijebu (Progeny of the Owner of All Known Ijebuland)’. This was circulated among the group’s members and it came to the public terrain through them.

 

 

“Our investigation reveals that the Sahara Strategy Group (SSG) which allegedly organised the so called conference in Abidjan does not exist. We could not find the name per se on Google. What we found was Sahara Group which is a power generation company, Sahara Foundation at Sahara Group Limited, Sahara Group Talent and Entrepreneurship Programme (STEP) and Sahara Energy Resource. The only evidence of the existence of a Sahara Strategy Group on Google is the fake story which originated from Major Loye Akinlade Tunde (rtd). To the best of our knowledge, therefore, the group is a phantom.  

 

 

“Neither could we find evidence of the existence of the so called San Louis Keita, the Malian ex-intelligence chief who was quoted as making the allegation against MURIC. No trace of San Louis Keita on Google. What was prominent in our Google search was a certain Aboubacar Keita, a popular footballer. We are wondering why a whole former intelligence chief of a country will be missing in a global search engine. As far as we are concerned, therefore, San Louis Keita, like the Sahara Strategy Group, exists only in the imagination of Loye Akinlade.

 

 

“It is also interesting that no media house published the story of any money received by MURIC before Akinlade posted it to his group. Akinlade is not a journalist. He is a retired soldier. So where did he get the story from? This is important because it shows that he is the origin of the fake news. Announcements on the facebook of Major Loye Akinlade Tunde (rtd) revealed that he is a member and strong ideologue of the Oduduwa ‘nation’.

 

 

“We are also amused that Chief Femi Fani-Kayode (FFK) yesterday called on the Federal Government to investigate the link between MURIC and ISWAP. That was immediately after the fake news broke out. FFK is a known hater of Muslims and he recently engaged in bitter altercations with the Director of MURIC. FFK is a major proponent of Oduduwa Republic and MURIC is a major critic of the idea. He therefore has a motive.

 

 

“MURIC does not oppose investigations into the allegation of receiving money from a terrorist organisation but the source of the fake news must be the starting point. Where did the retired major get his information? Is there any link between him and FFK? What are the roles being played by FFK and Akinlade in the proposed Oduduwa Republic? The Director of MURIC has received death threats for opposing the idea of the Yoruba breaking away from Nigeria.

 

 

“It is on record that FFk personally threatened to deal with opponents of the Oduduwa movement after establishing Oduduwa. Is the attempt to rope MURIC into a terrorist case FFK’s way of getting his pound of flesh? Is Major Akinlade (rtd) an accomplice in this regard?

 

 

“MURIC contends that the whole story about collecting money from ISWAP is fake news triggered by Islamophobia. This is an existential threat to the religion of Islam and Muslims in general throughout Nigeria. Muslim-haters have had a field day oppressing Muslims for decades until MURIC came on the scene. We were able to stem the anti-Muslim campaign courtesy of our Muslim rights advocacy. But that made us the target for elimination.

 

 

“They threatened to assassinate the Director of MURIC about five months ago. A couple of months ago, they used a fake Islamic organisation to allege that the Director collected N50 million from the Fulanis for the purpose of destabilising Yorubaland. Because this did not work, they now want to link us with ISWAP. It will fail by the grace of Allah.

 

 

“We are making wide consultations regarding the way forward. But in the meantime we demand a public apology from Major Loye Akinlade Tunde (rtd) for tarnishing the image of our organisation, causing malicious damage to our reputation and for libellous publication.

 

 

“In spite of all these attacks against us, we remain committed to the liberation of Nigerian Muslims from persecution, stigmatisation and Islamophobic attacks. What the enemies of peace want is to get us out of the way by all means, to continue to cause distraction using dirty methods like the ISWAP angle or to isolate us after smearing our reputation. We urge Nigerian Muslims to calm down but remain vigilant. As usual, we will continue to use peaceful and lawful means to resist all attempts to blackmail and silence us. No shaking, no retreat, no surrender. Aluta continua, victoria asserta.”

 

 

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)