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THE SOUTHWEST AND STATE OF THE NIGERIAN NATION BEING A PRESS CONFERENCE BY THE SUPREME COUNCIL FOR SHARIA IN NIGERIA SOUTH - WEST CHAPTER Wednesday 11th May, 2005 At The Nacomyo Central Mosque, Osogbo Osun State. Nigeria. We Muslims have been watching with keen interest and monitoring events in our beloved country, Nigeria. For sometimes now, Muslims in the Country have been crying foul in the nominations of delegates to the on-going National confab and the imbalanced of the political appointments by the present six years old Obasanjo led Administration. To put the record straight, we need to correct the wrong impressions on the Newspapers and Tabloids in the country that the Northern Muslims were the only agitators for the mal-administrative theory of the present Obasanjo regime in the Federal appointments to favour the Christians to be corrected. We Muslims in the South - West, and South - South are more in the forefront in the clarion call for Justice and Equity. To this end, Muslims in this country should henceforth cease to be addressed or referred to as ASouth-West Yoruba@ or ANorthern Hausa@ Muslims by the Media. AVerily, this Brotherhood of yours is a single Brotherhood, and I am your Lord and Cherisher; therefore serve Me (and no other). Qur=an 21:92 THE NATIONAL POLITICAL REFORM CONFERENCE It is the people of Nigeria that clamoured for the SOVEREIGN NATIONAL CONFERENCE, being part of the way to flush out what the military rule had left in our National psyche. When therefore, President Olusegun Obasanjo suddenly woke up overnight with his 931 Million Naira worth of National Political Reform Conference, so many Nigerians were skeptical and cast huge doubt on the intention of Mr. President. President Olusegun Obasanjo in his capacity as the President damned all consequences to source for money from APrivate quarters@ so that Nigerian Christians can discuss their future plans, fine-tune and execute their destiny. In as much as the confab without any enabling law establishing such-would have created a forum for National issues to be discussed and resolved, the President has made it look to us Muslims as a deceitful and unnecessary distractions which has become Obasanjo=s hall mark as Aa leader we can no longer trust@. Most importantly, in this press conference today we will make you all aware and be able to analyze our problems which probe beneath the surface and points to the real meaning of Muslims agitations behind the current events; yet the Muslim Ummah especially of this geographical zone had stayed politically neutral. ANALYSIS OF NOMINATIONS ON POLITICAL REFORMS CONFERENCE (SOUTH - WEST ZONE) EKITI STATE = 6 - ALL CHRISTIANS ONDO STATE = 6 - ALL CHRISTIANS OSUN STATE = 6 - 5 CHRISTIANS, 1 MUSLIM OYO STATE = 6 - 3 CHRISTIANS, 3 MUSLIMS OGUN STATE = 6 - 3 CHRISTIANS, 3 MUSLIMS LAGOS STATE = 6 - 2 CHRISTIANS, 4 MUSLIMS a. ONDO and EKITI States, even though Muslims constitute 30-35% of their population is amazing to see no Muslim nominees! b. In a glaring case of blind judgement, TARABA State with population of over 60% Muslim has only 2 Muslims with 4 Christians with the same percentage in NASARAWA, but Christians were given equal representation. c. But in OSUN State with between 60-70% Muslim populations, only 1 Muslim was nominated, against 5 Christian nominees. We are appreciative that the nominees to the Confab by the duo of Lagos, Ogun and Oyo State Governments balanced the religious representation. However, it should be noted that out of the 40 nominees by the President on the basis of North-South dichotomy only A17" are Muslims while 29 are Christians; and of the 26 nominated from the North, 17 are Muslims with 9 Christians; while out of 20 nominated from the South, 19 are Christians with Alhaji Senena Dokubo as THE ONLY MUSLIM from the South! These representations are unacceptable in view of the fact that at least 4 South-Western States (Lagos, Ogun, Osun and Oyo) Muslims are in the majority, with at least 30-40% Muslims in Ekiti, Ondo and Edo States. The so called special interest Groups are as follows: i. Academics 6 (2 Muslims, 4 Christians) ii. Labour 6 (2 Muslims, 4 Christians) iii. Employers Consultative Ass. 6 (1 Muslim, 5 Christians) iv. Women Group 6 (2 Muslims, 4 Christians) v. NACCIMA 6 (2 Muslims, 4 Christians) vi. Political 18 (7 Muslims, 11 Christians) vii. Civil Societies= 6 (2 Muslims, 4 Christians) viii. Social & Cultural Groups= 16 (4 Muslims, 12 Christians) ix. Nigerians In Diaspora= 5 (1 Muslims, 4 Christians) x. Physically Challenged = 3 (1 Muslims, 2 Christians) xi. NUJ and Proprietors Ass.= 3 (No Muslims, 3 Christians) xii. TUC 2 (No Muslims, 2 Christians) xiii. Traditional Rulers = 6 (2 Muslims, 4 Christians) xiv. FCT 3 (1 Muslim, 2 Christians) xv. Retired Civil Servants= 2 (No Muslims, 2 Christians) xvi. Retired Military Personnel= 3 (1 Muslim, 2Christians) The after though appointment of Prof. Ishaq Oloyede as the Co-Secretary to the CONFAB is just an insincere, flash-in-the-pan move by the President to gloss over the strong and meaningful agitation of we Muslims in the country by hyper-maradonic, but flousy Baba Iyabo. The 217 Christians delegate against the 165 Muslims out of the 382 was and is corruptly imbalance, unjust and outright marginalizaion of Muslims of this Country. If the President fails to yield to this clarion call by Muslims throughout the nooks and crannies of the country, the on-going confab is a fluke and a Christian Jamboree. He has neither the monopoly of wisdom or stubbornness. WE SHALL NOT ABIDE BY THE OUTCOME OF THE CONFAB! It is apparent here, that whenever a matter to be resolved is put to a vote at the confab the Xtians are going to have automatic edge over the Muslims. It would be recalled that the same President Obasanjo viciously wasted about 44 Billion Naira on Oputa Panel; so much money, time and noise on CHOGOM; COJA and the FESTAC 77!. But since 1999 to date, the Pensioners are crying for their after service N16 Billion payments with no response. Is the President hope for the extinction of Military and Civilians retirees before census in December 2005? FEDERAL APPOINTMENTS AND THE PRESIDENTIAL ANTI-ISLAM STANDS Our religious diversity as a Nation should be reflected in the appointment to the Political Offices not to favour a religion over another. The President has opened way for his patriotism to be strongly doubted and questioned by his recent but deliberate lopsidedness appointment of Christians in the helms of National Affairs; the Military Chiefs; Heads of Federal Parastatals; Ministers; Special advisers and Ambassadorial posts. Presently no Muslim in the helms of the Army, Police, Navy, Air Force, DMI, NIA strategic units and other Security agencies. What=s more, those Xtians in the services are now over-due for retirement! In Obasanjo=s Second term in office, out of the 42 Ministerial appointments, 16 of them were Muslims, while the whooping 26 went to the Christians. No wonder a Christian Clergy was reported to have claimed that it was (such imbalanced appointment) a reflection of the Xtian majority in Nigeria (sic)!. No past Muslim President/Head of State had ever done so much injustice to Christians in Nigeria in the Nation=s history except Mr. OBJ. It was recently; with NO MUSLIM Ministerial appointment from the South - West, that Alhaji Bashir Awotorebo was appointed (as Minister of State) after much dust was raised by NOCOMYO on the gross imbalance selection by the President. One can from these Presidential hide and seek game-count one=s teeth with one=s tongue. THE 2005 CENSUS To add pepper to injury, the President is now like a talking drummer with imbalanced shoulder, inclining the beat towards Nigerian Christendom. The outrageous and obnoxious appointment of 15 directors of 2005 population census with 12 Christians and 3 Muslims make one loose confidence in the headcount from the start. With the noise that religion and tribe should not be considered, is a signal that our born again President has a hidden religious vendetta. Obasanjo wanted to puncture the wheel of unity that has been moving the Nation forward with its cluster of Christians appointments. If this anomaly is not corrected by balancing the appointment of the directors; inclusion of religion and tribe in the considerations for Census, to we Muslims the headcount is meaningless and an ill-wind that will never blow us any good. Then the Divine Call should be expected when Allah will correct the whole issues. THE KADUNA ISLAMIC CONFERENCE Since the Kaduna Conference, the Presidency has not find its voice to make a cognitive statement or be bold enough to take meaningful action on the sensitive issues raised in the face of all the naked facts so presented. The frog seems to have lost its way to the brook. The Muslims are well informed of the ominous publication by the ombudsmen of the Obasanjo Administration. They should address the real issue, instead of shooting in the dark, and on time too! We hereby stand firmly by our Muslim Imams and Leaders decision across the country on the above subject matters be it North, East or South. The Administration of Obasanjo should correct and put right all the anomalies done to Islam in this country via appointments and nominations by this ill-repute regime. Let=s remind all that Islam is an International and World religion and NOBODY should dare its might. Ask those who have tried it in the past. The Muslims in this country are said to be a sleeping colossus now the attitude of Presidency has waken us up to take our collective stand. We still repeat it that if our demands are not met, the Muslims should await the Divine call. WE MUSLIMS AND THE YORUBA AGENDA Let us state it clear, we are Yorubas to the core, but we are more Muslims that being tribalistic. Since the 1960s=, NONE of the Pan-Yoruba interest or pressure groups really addresses our Islamic religious faith in their polity. In the five Yoruba geo-political States, the Muslims are so much in population. The sky is too obvious for the shortest dwarf to see. We are now asking why did the 1994 drafted Yoruba agenda endorsed by the so called Leaders of thoughts does not have the consideration provision or the involvement of Islamic religious leaders? On a closer study the so called Yoruba Agenda has hypocritically silent and dangerously eroded the position of religion especially - Islam and Christianity in the South - West polities. It is our belief that the initiative of the pile-ups was written with the eye of sectarian. Pre-independence day eye rather than for future community and National development. Our Yoruba Governors, Leaders of thought and Obas should see themselves as MOTHER OF TRIPLETS who should NOT lie asleep on one side! CONCLUSION ƒ¬ We hereby call on Muslims throughout the Federation to keep keener eye on their respective state; and National issues than before. ƒ¬ While standing by our Religious Leaders, we should be watchful and keep eyes on the ways enemies of Islam might deployed to cause discourse among the Muslims. ƒ¬ To clearly state and always write their full Islamic Names (not initials) whenever any official transactions should be made. You don=t need to hide your Islamic identity anywhere! ƒ¬ To fervently results to Prayer than before. We are Muslims, we are true and truthful Nigerians with No other Country to go or call our own; and we believe in a peaceful co-existence of all tribes and people of various religious colorations. Any Human rights organization that worth is salt should verify our data and issues raised. Such organization be it National or International should come out with the truth weather Muslims in this Country were and are being marginalized or not. The Obasanjo regime has therefore taught and groom us to believe that religion should always be considered in choosing people into Public Offices come 2007 and beyond. As we have overhead that some world leaders does not want Muslims to rule the African most populous country again. We sincerely believe in equity, justice, fair play and religious balancing for all Nigerians. DELIVERED BY: SHEIKH ABDURRASHEED HADIYATULLAH THE DIRECTOR SHARIA COLLEGE OF NIGERIA 1ST NATIONAL VICE-PRESIDENT (SCSN),
FORWARDED BY: IBRAHIM TUDU Secretary General GLOBAL NETWORK FOR ISLAMIC JUSTICE, P. O. Box 55, Gusau. Zamfara State.
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