The Ecumenical Youth Association condemns in the strongest possible terms, the notoriety and insidiousness displayed by Muslim Right Concerns (MURIC) and its Director Prof. Ishag Akintola.
MURIC has been mindlessly and shamelessly exploiting our religious fault lines by attacking Christian Politicians and leaders to orchestrate a groundswell of hate and rejection of Christians in the affairs of our multi-religion nation.
MURIC most recent statement imbued with hate and religious jingoism claimed that four Christian Governor’s namely, Benue State Governor, HE Samuel Ortom, Oyo State Governor, HE Seyi Makinde, Taraba State Governor, HE Diruis Ishaku, and Rivers State Governor, HE Nyesom Wike, “Are All Muslim-Haters, They Will Never Get To Federal Positions”.
While the statement by MURIC is obviously false but it was a well-calculated strategy to incite and motivate Muslims to vote against Christian candidates in the looming 2023 general election. The governors MURIC targeted are amongst the best receptive and performing governors in Nigeria, not just in interfaith inclusion in governance and promoting religious tolerance in their states but also in the area of economic and socio-environmental development, et al.
Is it not the governor of a state’s constitutional powers, rights, and prerogative to appoint those in his judgment who will help him to drive or deliver democracy dividend to the doorsteps of his people? Speaking of Governor Darius Ishaku, the reason he is doing well for the people of Taraba state is that, he carries both Christians and Muslims along in his administration; In fact, he has the majority of Muslim exco in the state who are working with him in the office. It seems some Muslims don’t want him to work so that he will have a bad name, but the opposite is what is happening in Taraba State. For the case MURIC sighted, our question is that, if your appointee, in this case, the governor, feels you are not running with his vision to develop the state, doesn’t he have the right to bring onboard someone that will run with his developmental vision for the people of Taraba State?
Governor Seyi Makinde stood by the status quo regarding the hijab issue in his state. That status quo is what has maintained peace in the state and he did not alter it, even though he has the power to do so.
Governor Wike has been very supportive in sponsoring Rivers Muslims for Hajj every year. That’s just an aspect of his support for the Muslim community in Rivers state. While Governor Samuel Ortom is also very accommodating to the Muslim Community in his State.
Contrary to Prof. Akintola’s claims, these governors have the utmost respect for the Islamic religion and Muslims. You can see from their commitments.
Meanwhile, MURIC is so blind that, it does not see how Christians in some parts of the north are not given land to build churches, sponsorship for pilgrimage, and are politically ostracized. What about the one bordering on the highest advisory body in Nigeria? That is, the National Council of States Affairs approved the appointment of the Former Deputy Governor of Nasarawa State, who is a Christian as the Chairman of National Population Commission (NPC), the president in his wisdom denied him the privilege to serve his country and gave the chance to a Muslim from the same state; just to mention but a few.
Indeed the sponsors of Prof. Akintola are glittering with the achievements and rising political profile of these four governors and want to use religion to undermine this. However, they have failed woefully.
We wish to state categorically that, MURIC cannot even stop a councilor from going to the federal level how much more these governors are! Even with its trademark of wiping religious sentiment to achieve a political aim, it will however not work this time for them because Muslims of today are more enlightened than what the old Prof. thinks.
We, therefore, urge Nigerians and most especially those from these four states not to pay attention to this attention seeker who is doing the bidding of his political sponsors.
Signed
Daboikiabo Z. Warmate (President)
Musa Gungu Dogara (Acting General Secretary)
Gbenga Adedamola (Secretary, National Affairs)
