MURIC

By Abdurrahman Muhammad

A call has gone to the Kaduna State House of Assembly to investigate the Kaduna State Traffic Law Enforcement Authority (KASTLEA). The appeal came from an Islamic human rights organisation, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC). The group accused the leadership of KASTLEA of harassing Muslim female marshals who wear hijab and their male counterparts who have beards.

This was contained in a press statement circulated on Friday, November 17, 2023, by the Executive Director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola. He said:

“We have credible information that the leadership of the Kaduna State Traffic Law Enforcement Authority (KASTLEA) has recently been casting aspersion on the use of hijab by female marshals and the growth of beards by their male counterparts. 

“The current head of KASTLEA, Carla Abdulmalik, a Christian lady, uses almost every opportunity to directly or indirectly caution marshals against the use of hijab. She reportedly issued a directive for the shaving of beards by the male Marshals. According to her, having beards makes the job unprofessional and disgusting.

“MURIC resents the anti-Muslim antics of Carla. She must be called to order before she plunges Kaduna into a huge crisis whose consequences no one can predict.

“Carla is exhibiting a common trait of Muslim-haters. She is most indiscreetly imposing Christian culture on Muslim marshals and manifesting hatred for all forms of Islamic appearance.

“We therefore call on the honourable members of the Kaduna State House of Assembly to investigate these allegations and make recommendations to Governor Uba Sani. 

“Carla must be called to order. Kaduna is the last place where one would expect to find the persecution of Muslim workers or students. This is an anomaly that should not be allowed to rear its ugly head anywhere in Northern Nigeria. We call on Islamic scholars to speak up on this matter and to put pressure on politicians in Kaduna on the need to protect Muslim marshals in KASTLEA.

“The Constitution is clearly on the side of religious freedom. Section 38 (i) & (ii) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provides ‘every person shall be entitled to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, including freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom (either alone or in community with others, and in public or in private) to manifest and propagate his religion or belief in worship, teaching, practice and observance’

“There have been no restrictions on religious freedom in KASTLEA since its establishment in 2014, and nothing in the 2017 act establishing the agency forbids hijab or beards. Muslim marshals in the agency have also never been intimidated by any of those who headed KASTLEA before Carla. Her persecution and stereotyping of Muslims under her must stop.”

By Muhammad Abdurrahman

An Islamic human rights organisation, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has warned those calling for the arrest of Dr Zakir Naik to mind their business. The organisation insists that the Islamic preacher is exercising his Allah-given fundamental human right of freedom of movement under international law. MURIC further warned that anybody found embarrassing to the Sultan’s guest would face the wrath of Nigerian Muslims. 

The warning was handed down on Sunday, 5th November 2023, by the Executive Director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola. 

The full statement reads:

“A campaign of calumny and religious hatred has been unleashed on an international Islamic figure, Dr Zakir Naik, who is currently in Nigeria. Dr Zakir Naik is in the country on the invitation of the Sultan of Sokoto and President General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar.

“The campaign is being sponsored by Christians who are jittery. They are aware of the visitor’s oratory, intellectual prowess and amazing ability to convince his audience with indubitable facts. We remind these overzealous interlopers that Dr Zakir Naik is exercising his Allah-given fundamental human right of freedom of movement. 

“Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the United Nations guarantees the right to freedom of movement around the globe without interference. It says, ‘Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state. Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.

“Those behind this shameful exercise are meddlesome interlopers and Muslim haters disguising themselves as public commentators. They are motivated by hate, ignorance and gymnastic religiosity. 

“For the avoidance of doubt, we warn that anybody found embarrassing an official guest of His Eminence the Sultan and head of more than 150 million Nigerian Muslims will face the wrath of Muslims in this country.

“Why are our Christian neighbours so intolerant? How many times have Muslims raised objections when Christians invite foreign preachers? Several Christian preachers have toured this country without any Muslim protesting. 

“We recall the way Louis Farrakhan, the black American Muslim leader, was disallowed from giving a lecture in Nigeria in 1986. That ugly and disgraceful incident was engineered by the same set of people. It must not happen again.

“To those who are pursuing this ignoble goal, we say, ‘Take notice that Dr Zakir Naik is not Louis Farrakhan and Nigeria of 1986 is different from Nigeria in 2023. Nigerian Muslims of today, under a dynamic and visionary leadership, can give measure for measure.’ 

“The whole world knows the Indian government for what it is when it comes to religious tolerance. The crimes of the Indian state against its Muslim population of 204 million Muslims are legendary. Muslim haters in Nigeria should allow the Indian government to convince Interpol to do its dirty work for it. 

“India has failed to involve Interpol because its allegations against Dr Zakir Naik are religiously motivated. How did the Islamic scholar travel across several countries without Interpol arresting him if, indeed, he is a wanted person? Let the Indian government convince Interpol first.

“As far as we are concerned, Dr Zakir Naik has not broken any known law of Nigeria. He is, therefore, innocent and free to move around and deliver lectures. We remind the law enforcement agencies of their duty to ensure the safety and security of this Islamic scholar. Nothing must happen to him. It is needless to assert that any guest of the Sultan is a guest of all Nigerian Muslims.”

#LeaveDrZaikNaikAlone

By Abdurrahman Muhammad

The Ansarudeen Society of Nigeria began its three-month-long centenary programme on Friday, 20^th October, 2023. Meanwhile, an Islamic human rights organisation, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has sent a message of solidarity to the society. MURIC described the Ansarudeen as the leading Islamic organisation in Nigeria in the area of education.

MURIC’s solidarity message was contained in a statement given to newsmen on Monday, 23^rd October 2023, by the Executive Director of the organisation, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

The statement reads:

“A foremost Islamic organisation, the Ansar-ud-Deen Society of Nigeria (AUD), began its three-month-long centenary programme on Friday, 20^th October, 2023.  The celebrations will come to an end in December 2023.

“MURIC expresses its unflinching solidarity with the AUD on this momentous occasion. We felicitate with the National President of this great organisation, Alhaji Aare Dr. Abdul Rafiu Ademola Sanni whose visionary guidance and exemplary leadership have propelled AUD to greater heights.

“AUD is a golden lamp that has illuminated all that is around it. Millions of Nigerians have benefitted from its programmes, particularly education. AUD primary and secondary schools are spread throughout the nooks and crannies of Nigeria, while the organisation has capped its educational edifice with colleges and a tertiary institution, Summit University, Offa, Kwara State. This is apart from its empowerment programmes for women and youths.

“We extend our acknowledgement to the spiritual leader of the AUD, Shaykh Abdul Rahman Ahmad. As the Chief Missioner of the society, Shaykh Abdul Rahman Ahmad has been a good ambassador.

“MURIC appeals to the federal and state Governments in the country as well as Muslim philanthropists to vigorously fund projects of the AUD. We charge the organization to remain focused and to pay greater attention to its youth wing in order to preserve its enduring culture of spiritual and social growth.”

By Abdurrahman Muhammad

The move by the Kano State Government to remove some lewd and pernicious teaching materials from the curriculum of both public and private basic schools in the state has been commended by the Muslim rights advocacy group, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).

The Kano State Government, through the office of the Special Advisor on Private and Voluntary Institutions, issued the prohibition in an announcement made on Thursday, 5th October 2023. 

In the announcement, the Kano State Government listed some six (6) textbooks prohibited for instructional use “due to observed inclusions(sic) of inappropriate and sexually explicit contents that are harmful to the morals of our young students.”

The decision of the Kano State Government, under the leadership of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, to prohibit the use of obscene teaching materials in the state has come at the right time. Therefore, all parents, educationists, learners and advocates must embrace and support the initiative so as to tame the alarming rise of immorality amongst the youths in the state. 

The human rights group lent its support by calling on the authorities to ensure strict compliance by both public and private schools in the state. 

The commendation was contained in a statement released by the Chairman of the Kano State Chapter of the group, Malam Hassan Sani Indabawa, on Friday, October 6, 2023. 

Mr Indabawa further said:

“As one of the front-line advocates for the removal of all obscene teaching aids from the nation’s educational system, we at MURIC rejoice and commend the Kano State Government for doing the needful by prohibiting the use of some selected teaching materials found to contain sexually explicit contents which are perverse to the moral upbringing of pupils in the state.

“The surreptitious inclusion of explicit sexual contents in some of the basic education teaching materials was part of the Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) developed by the United Nations Population Fund (UNPF) for worldwide use to promote promiscuity, fornication and homosexuality. This is one of the evils of globalisation. Certainly, this strange knowledge contradicts our faith, culture and values.

“Aside from the CSE, many textbooks used in Nigerian schools have been corrupted with lewd contents. 

“Nigerians may be well aware that in the last twenty years or so, classical English literature books and novels such as Macbeth, Julius Caesar, Merchant of Venice, Weep Not Child, Things Fall Apart, The Man Died, African Child, Akin the Drummer Boy, Mine Boy, The Delinquent and so forth have been removed from our school curricula and replaced with sex-related local English literature and other science books containing lewd and pernicious matters to give the unsuspecting young school pupils the wrong impression that self-control is unnecessary and that casual sex makes them feel good; that they should engage in casual sex before marriage; that ‘safe sex’ is what to aim for in life provided that they don’t get pregnant and if they do get pregnant, they should go for abortion. 

“As we may equally be aware, one of the negative consequences of this is the sexualisation of primary and secondary school pupils.

“Therefore, the prohibition of the use of offensive textbooks by the Kano State Government must be backed by appropriate legislation to provide a legal framework for sanctioning any erring school authority for effective implementation of the government’s directive.

“The Office of the Special Advisor on Private and Voluntary Institutions and Kano Educational Resource Department (KERD) must be well-equipped to ensure strict compliance as it is our belief that some self-seeking, unscrupulous and unconscientious groups and individuals may attempt to frustrate the effort with the support of the global conspiracy designed to destroy the fabric of our family value system, decency and modesty.

“We also call on other state governments to emulate Kano State Government by reviewing and removing all lewd and pernicious teaching materials from their various basic education curriculum.

“Finally, we reiterate our earlier call, made on the 25th May 2023, to the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), a federal government agency charged with the responsibility of implementing educational policies in Nigeria, to immediately review and expunge any sex-related content from the curriculum being used in Nigerian basic schools.”

By Abdurrahman Muhammad

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has accused a section of the media and its allies of continuously neglecting the increasing death toll of Nigerian Muslims but are quick to report the fabricated number of dead Christians at the instance of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

It has come to our notice that the majority of security-related challenges being faced in Nigeria, most of which result in the death of Muslims, especially when in large quantity are mostly unreported or, at best, under-reported; we at the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) have seen this as a ploy to portray Muslims as the perpetrators of these various crimes in Nigeria, ranging from terrorism, kidnapping, cattle rustlings, banditry, etc.

The Muslims have always been complacent, consoling themselves without making noise on various social media platforms whenever the unpleasant news of the death of their brothers and sisters in Islam filters in. This is because Allah has emphasised to us through the Holy Quran that “All Souls Shall Taste Death” (Qur’an 3:185), whereas CAN is always quick at playing the victim card, and its voice can be heard at the seventh heaven.

Social media and traditional news media also become awash with unprintable comments to escalate the incident beyond the real magnitude. The Muslims are, therefore, always at the receiving end. In contrast, Muslims lose the highest number of victims of the security challenges Nigeria is currently facing.

It is a known fact that the majority of the act of terrorism by the dreaded terrorist organisation in Nigeria (Boko Haram) has led to the death of more Muslims than Christians; the terrorist group detonated bombs in metropolitan areas in the northern part of Nigeria where the Muslims have the highest population. It is, therefore, only logical to say that the terrorist group targets Muslims more than Christians; thus, any Christian who becomes a victim is more collateral damage because the real targets are the Muslims.

In an effort to set the records straight, MURIC has carried out a statistical analysis of violent attacks and has gathered data on Muslims who were casualties of various attacks carried out by armed groups such as Boko Haram, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), armed bandits, herdsmen and the so-called unknown gunmen.

It was discovered that between 2021 and 2022, the total number of Muslims who have become casualties is as high as two thousand two hundred and sixty-four (2,264). This figure is for reported cases. Only Allah knows the exact number of thousands of unreported cases of Muslim deaths.

Of this figure, 1,829 were killed by Boko Haram, 288 Muslims fell victim to banditry, 98 were killed by unknown gunmen, 36 by herdsmen and 13 by IPOB.

We appeal to the Muslim populace not to seek vengeance as Allah is sufficient for us, and only Allah knows the punishment most suitable for perpetrators of the killings. We also remind co-country men to tread softly and not to insult the sensitivity and cool-headedness of Nigerian Muslims; our religion teaches “Peace”, and on that mantra, all our engagements are based.

Lastly, while we acknowledge that efforts made by the security agents are already yielding results, we implore them to increase their vigilance to ensure a prosperous and peaceful nation.

By Abdurrahman Muhammad

Following controversies surrounding the selection of the next Alaafin of Oyo, an Islamic human rights organization, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has advised the governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, to follow due process. According to the organization, the due process involves announcing Lukman Gbadegesin, the candidate picked by the Oyomesi, as indicated in a document signed by the seven Oyomesi authorities.

This was revealed in a press statement issued on Wednesday, 20^th September 2023, by the Executive Director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

The statement reads :

“There has been prolonged controversy over the right candidate to become the next Alaafin of Oyo since the demise of Oba Lamidi Adeyemi on 22^nd April 2022 at the age of 83.

“The authentic kingmakers of Oyo, who are known as Oyomesi, have kicked against the nomination of Archbishop Ayo Ladigbolu, who is 85 years old, for lack of due process. A document published in various newspapers two days ago and signed by the seven Oyomesi revealed that the candidate duly selected by the rightful kingmakers of the ancient town is Prince Lukman Adelodun Gbadegesin.

“The Oyomesi group affirmed that they had forwarded the name of Prince Gbadegesin to the governor since 4^th October 2022. According to them, the Bashorun of Oyo, High Chief Yusuf Akinade Ayoola, wrongfully picked another candidate, Archbishop Ayo Ladigbolu and filed a suit against them in court, but he lost the case.

“This implies that the Alaafin throne has been vacant for almost one and a half years. We urge Governor Makinde to make hay while the sun shines. It is now time to announce the name of the candidate picked by the Oyomesi and backed by the court’s pronouncement.

“Archbishop Ladigbolu’s attempt to come through the backdoor to the throne of the Alaafin of Oyo is illegal, illegitimate, unlawful and unconstitutional. Communal clashes which claim hundreds of lives and destroy properties worth billions of naira will be avoided if state governors respect the rule of law and follow due process. Vested interest from official circles in matters relating to tradition often end in tragedies.

“Tongues are wagging, not only in Oyo town but in the whole state as well as in the whole South West. This time around, Governor Makinde has to prove that the label given to him as the governor who likes to install Christians only as Yoruba kings is unsuitable for him.  

“This year alone, it happened in Ogbomosho where a Redeemed Church pastor, Afolabi Ghandi Olaoye, was crowned as king and in Iseyin where another pastor, David Olawale Oyebola has emerged the Aseyin.

“As a peace-loving and dialogue-inclined human rights organization, MURIC urges the state governor to allow the choice of the authentic kingmakers of Oyo town to prevail by announcing Prince Lukman Adelodun Gbadegesin as the next Alaafin of Oyo without any delay.”

By Abdurrahman Muhammad

An appeal has gone to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure that all regions, faiths and sections benefit from political appointments made by his government while no ethnic group or faith is seen to be favoured above others. 

Making the appeal on Monday, 18th September 2023, was the Executive Director of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), Professor Ishaq Akintola. The head of the Islamic human rights organisation added that appointments made so far by Tinubu are lopsided because they favoured mainly Yorubas and Christians. He advised the president to ensure balance in coming appointments. 

The full text reads:

“We are shocked to our marrows that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been appointing Christians and Yorubas mainly to key positions since the inception of this administration at the expense of Muslims. For instance, five out of eight security chiefs appointed earlier are Christians. Ministerial posts have not been different.

“All five key appointments made by President Tinubu to revive the economy were given to Christians and Yorubas mainly. These new appointees include the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun; the newly nominated CBN Governor, Dr. Michael Cardoso, Hon. Zacch Adedeji; Acting Chairman, FIRS; the Chairman, Tax Reforms Committee, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele and Mr. Tope Fasua, Special Adviser on Economic Affairs.

“Many competent Muslims who campaigned and voted for Muslim-Muslim ticket during the presidential election were ignored. It is interesting to note that some of those Muslims are eminently qualified to hold key political offices since there are professors, engineers, medical doctors and holders of doctorate degrees among them.

“To add salt to injury, one of the best Muslim ministerial nominees, the man who championed the Muslim-Muslim ticket and mobilised the whole North behind Asiwaju, has been jettisoned. Also, Professor Ali Isa Pantami, who took the communication and digital economy to enviable heights during the last administration, was ignored. Where, then, is our Muslim president taking Nigerian Muslims?

“MURIC rejects this trending narrative that makes competence the raison d’etre for concentrating appointments in any particular tribe, religion or group. Government’s tentacles should be spread nationwide in the search for competence. Neither should the need for skills be used as a cover for the marginalisation of some sections of Nigeria. 

“We assert clearly, emphatically and unequivocally that competence is not the monopoly of any tribe, faith or group. Talented Nigerians are to be found everywhere if sincere searches are conducted. 

“Besides, government should take the lion share of the blame if competent hands cannot be found in any section, creed or group for certain assignments. It means the government has not, ab initio, allowed educational and training facilities to be fairly and evenly distributed, or that the government has failed to consciously integrate all segments of the Nigerian society. All sectors must therefore have equal opportunities to participate in governance.

“This regime must be wary of allegation of nepotism, which the previous regime was accused of. Nigeria is a vast country with talented men and women in all nooks and crannies. The government must not just pick the low-hanging skills or those on the water surface. It must send its underwater swimmers to dive below the surface in order to bring the gems to dry land.

“Our message to President Tinubu is this (and we want the president’s handlers to take this to him) the cacophony of voices of dissatisfied Muslims has reached an unbearable crescendo such that MURIC is now constrained to speak up. People are complaining, particularly Muslims from the North and South West, and they can only be ignored at the risk of foregoing 2027. 

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is our Muslim brother, but that should not stop us from criticising him if he does the wrong thing. The Prophet (SAW) said, “Help your brother when he is wronged and even when he is wrong…”

“Traceable as well as well-known authors on social media are exchanging lopsided lists either tilted in favour of Christians who did not vote for the Muslim-Muslim ticket or in favour of Yorubas only. Such lists raise questions of nepotism and that of marginalisation of the same Muslims who stood behind Asiwaju and voted massively for him. 

The pervading hunger everywhere in the land may force some regions to seek a pound of flesh in 2027 if they are denied political appointments where it matters. In particular, President Tinubu should ensure that the North, which was his strategic ally in the 2023 presidential election, is not stinted of political appointments. Otherwise, he will destroy the thin veneer of solidarity which currently exists between the North and the South West.

“We remind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that all regions, faiths and sections deserve political appointments. The Tinubu administration must not be the exclusive preserve of the Yorubas at the expense of other tribes, nor the monopoly of Rome at the expense of Madinah. No region must be sentenced to hunger, starvation and political isolation. 

“Tinubu’s next appointments must see a shift in body language. All regions, faiths and sections must benefit from political appointments made by this government, while no ethnic group or faith is seen to be favoured above others.

“Meanwhile, we in MURIC accept full responsibility for the dilemma facing Nigerian Muslims as their Muslim-Muslim ticket has turned into a ‘Christian majority government’. We admit being in the forefront of the campaign for a Yoruba Muslim presidency which has become a bone in the throat of Yoruba Muslims in particular and Nigerian Muslims in general. 

“With heavy hearts, we tender unreserved apology, first, to the former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, for what we led him to even though he showed no interest at the beginning, and to other Nigerian Muslims, particularly those who have been accusing us of misleading them. 

By Abdurrahman Muhammad

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has condoled the Chairman of Jamā’atu Izālatil Bid’ah wa Iqāmatis-Sunnah (JIBWIS) Nigeria – Sheikh Dr Abdullahi Bala Lau, on the death of a member of the executive of the organisation, Sheikh Abubakar Giro Argungu.

In the condolence message signed by its National Secretary, Malam Ibrahim Musa Yelwa Al-kisa’i, MURIC said that the deceased was reported to have passed away on Wednesday night and buried at his hometown cemetery in Argungu after Zuhr yesterday.

Giro was reported by his son to have sought forgiveness from his friends and family, and in the end, he uttered the Kalimatush-shahādah (the last testimony of belief in Allah). Sheikh Giro was known to be a committed and consistent Islamic scholar throughout his lifetime and had little or no attachments to worldly materials.

His death is indeed a national and international tragedy that befell Muslims, yet we admit that death is a necessary end, and it must be accepted by devoted Muslims in the right way.

The National Secretary prayed on behalf of the organisation for Allah to forgive the deceased and to give all those bereaved by his death the fortitude to bear the loss.

By Abdurrahman Muhammad

An Islamic human rights organisation, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has called on men of the Department of State Services (DSS) to set the former boss of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), AbdulRasheed Bawa, free or charge him to court. 

Making the call on Thursday, 17th August, 2023, was the Executive Director of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), Professor Ishaq Akintola. 

The full statement reads:

“Abdul Rasheed Bawa, former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has been in detention since 14th June 2023 without any explanation whatsoever. 

“This is contrary to the letter and spirit of Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which guarantees fair hearing in compliance with the judicial principle of audi alterem partem (i.e. hear from both sides to a case before taking a decision). Nigerians are yet to hear from the former EFCC boss. Neither have they heard from his lawyers.

“There should be no detention without trial in a democracy. It stands in contradistinction to Section 41 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which says inter alia, ‘Every citizen of Nigeria is entitled to move freely throughout Nigeria and to reside in any part thereof…’.

“Article 7(b) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights also stipulates the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty by a competent court or tribunal. To that extent, therefore, it must be assumed that Bawa is innocent.

“MURIC demands that he should be set free or brought to court where his charges will be read to him. He should also be allowed to see his lawyer, his personal doctor and key members of his family.

“If Godwin Emefiele, who traumatised all Nigerians for months, could be arraigned in court twice since his arrest, we wonder what special crime Bawa committed to have warranted his indefinite detention. Could it be because the former CBN governor has access to a bottomless pit of foreign and local currencies and he could therefore engage the best lawyers in the land while Bawa, a young aspiring Nigerian, cannot afford lawyers’ huge fees?

“MURIC, therefore, demands the enforcement of Allah-given fundamental human rights of AbdulRasheed Bawa. He should be set free or arraigned before a court of competent jurisdiction where he can be granted bail. 

“Our vision of Nigeria is that of a land where every man or woman is free from institutional, societal and individual coercion, a land where tyranny, oppression, injustice as well as political and socio-economic marginalisation become history.”

By Abdurrahman Muhammad

As the failure of the Senate to confirm the ministerial nomination of the former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, continues to generate controversy, an Islamic human rights organisation, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has told President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to save the North-West alliance which gave him victory at the polls by ensuring that El-Rufai gets the ministerial appointment.

MURIC made its stand known on Sunday, 13th August 2023, after an emergency meeting of its Central Think Tank (CTT) held in the evening of the previous day. A statement signed by the Executive Director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola, after the meeting reads: 

“The Central Think Tank (CTT) of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) met yesterday to consider the circumstances surrounding the failure of the Senate to confirm the nomination of the former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, as a minister. 

“CTT considered the issue a major setback to the North-West alliance which gave President Bola Ahmed Tinubu victory during the 2023 presidential election. Furthermore, CTT regards the non-confirmation of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai’s ministerial nomination as a big threat to future alliance between the North and the South-West. The North may not hobnob with the South-West again if the champion of the North-South alliance is shabbily treated.  

“CTT also noted the huge contribution of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai who persuaded the Northern political elite, particularly the twelve Northern governors, to allow power to go to the South. It was observed that the monumental power shift of 2023 was a fulfilment of a 2019 agreement. It was therefore an act of honour while El-Rufai is seen as the icon of Northern integrity. 

“CTT affirms clearly, emphatically and unequivocally that it behoves the South as represented by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reciprocate the North’s noble stand by walking his talk, particularly his open offer and public invitation to Mallam El-Rufai to join his cabinet. The story of Tinubu’s invitation to El-Rufai to join his cabinet is already public knowledge.

“It has become necessary to jog the President’s medulla oblongata today because the North has exhibited integrity by keeping its promise on power shift to the South. It therefore behoves the South to reciprocate, to manifest decorum, decency and dignity, particularly with the ‘Omoluabi virtue’ for which the Yoruba are well known.

“Tinubu has a duty to protect the good name of the Yoruba people in particular and the whole South in general. Besides, a promise is a promise in Islam and Tinubu is a Muslim. Allah says in the Glorious Qur’an ‘And fulfill the promise, surely (every) promise shall be questioned about.’ (Qur’an 17:34). Allah also said, ‘O you who believe! Fulfill your pledges.’ (Qur’an 5:1).

“The good relationship and the bond between the North and the South-West must not be allowed to break. 2027 is around the corner. Even 2031 is already knocking and politicians are already doing their calculations. The North supported Tinubu because they found him to be credible. He must not do anything capable of diminishing that credibility.

“El-Rufai is the gem of the collection and everybody knows it. He is a performer. He is cerebral, iconic. If it is true that the president himself already hinted El-Rufai to set the machinery in motion for the energy sector, the president is morally bound to walk his talk regardless of all other encumberances. 

“Records show that there are precedents. Festus Keyamo was cleared in spite of Senate’s earlier objection. Something made Senate change its mind. Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo got this same El-Rufai cleared despite Senate’s opposition in 2004. El-Rufai withdrew having read between the lines. He will still do it for the sake of Nigeria if the president’s body language conforms.

“Criminality, dishonesty, fraud, impunity, lack of patriotism and other Nigerian problems spring from a wrong mindset. They will all disappear or at least be reduced to the barest minimum if the leadership sets the pace. Islamic scholars North and South who nurtured the North-South alliance are watching. All men and women of conscience are keeping vigil. Nigeria holds its breath and shivers. The buck stops at Mr. President’s table.”