NAIRA RECOVERY: TINUBU, CARDOSO DESERVE KUDOS - MURIC

 

20^th April, 2024

PRESS RELEASE:

NAIRA RECOVERY: TINUBU, CARDOSO DESERVE KUDOS - MURIC 

 

Nigerians have been asked to appreciate the efforts and achievements of the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Olayemi Cardoso in the steady rise of the naira in the past few weeks. Making the call at the weekend was the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), an Islamic human rights organization. 

 

In a statement issued by the Founder and Executive Director of the organization, Professor Ishaq Akintola, on Saturday, 20th April, 2024  the group extolled the speed at which the naira is recovering as well as the bandwagon effect on prices of some products which have started falling. 

 

The group said:

 

"The fear of Nigerians over the plight of the naira now appears to be melting with the recent steady rise of the Nigerian currency which began nosediving eleven months ago. The fall of the naira began even before the inauguration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in May 2023 when it exchanged for N465.07 to $1 compared to the exchange rate of N411.935 in January 2022.

 

“The naira plummeted to N1,524 to $1 in the early days of February 2024 (https://apnews.com/article/nigeria-currency-economy-naira-tinubu-cbn-49f5686d9638e9db2ac42ae3cecd2f24). It suffered its lowest exchange rate when it fell to N1,830 to $1 at the black market on 21^st February, 2024 (https://nairametrics.com/2024/02/21/naira-hits-record-low-of-n1830-1-at-the-black-market/). This development threw Nigerians into a wild panic and some unpatriotic elements started predicting that the naira would reach N2,000 to $1. 

 

"The free fall of the naira created tension around the country and the attendant rise in prices put many in the panic mode. Prices of all products skyrocketed and life became meaningless and unbearable particularly for the hoi polloi. It was so bad that a bag of rice was sold as high as N80,000 in some areas while the price of cement hit the roof. 

 

"However, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) through its new governor, Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, proved his competence when he applied necessary fiscal measures that forced the dollar to retreat while naira began to rise steadily. Consequently the official buying rate of the CBN fell to N1,160.131 while selling was N1,161.131 as at Thursday, 18^th April, 2024 (https://www.cbn.gov.ng/rates/exchratebycurrency.asp?beginrec=1701&endrec=1800&currencytype=).

 

“This feat is already ricocheting in the prices of goods around the country. Gas dealers have crashed its price from N1,500 to N1,100 per kilogram (https://www.legit.ng/business-economy/energy/1588222-dealers-crash-cooking-gas-price-n1100-kg-stronger-naira-pushes-costs/). A 50-kilo bag of rice which costs N84,000 in February now goes for N68,000, a decrease of 19% (https://newsrainng.com/2024/04/17/price-of-rice-reduced-by-19check-rice-price-here/).

 

“Even cement that was selling between N15,000 and N12,000 four months ago fell to between N7,000 and N7,500 (https://www.legit.ng/business-economy/industry/1588037-n12k-bag-survey-shows-dangote-bua-crash-cement-prices-low/#google_vignette).

 

"It is our candid opinion that those who lay strong emphasis on good governance should equally demand and practice good citizenry. The latter involves readiness to commend performing leaders with the same alacrity employed when criticizing them for inadequacies. 

 

"Unfortunately the reverse is the case in Nigeria, thus turning leaders at times to unappreciated species. If there is a time to pour out a tornado of criticisms, there must be a time to churn out a plethora of commendations. That is objectivity. This is because leaders are also homo sapiens and blood flows in their veins. Criticism dampens their appetite for service while praises inspire them to do more.

 

"It is in this vein that MURIC finds it mandatory to commend the efforts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for leading the naira out of the woods within such a short period. In the same manner, Mr. Cardoso, the CBN governor, deserves our encomiums for performing this feat. 

 

"We are not unaware that Nigeria is not there yet but our appreciation could turn out to be that vital shot in the arm which these leaders need to catapult the country to the El-Dorado that we all crave.

 

“We therefore advise Nigerians to be more positive in the profiling of their country. Nigeria is a great country and its citizens should not attempt to pull it down. The cleaner our reputation the better the chances of our citizens outside the country. Greece, Brazil and Argentina are yet to recover from the global depression of 2016.

 

“Nigeria’s economy is the concern of the Muslim Rights Concern because whatever affects Nigerians has affected the largest concentration of Muslim population in the whole of Africa. The right to decent living is one of the Allah-given fundamental human rights of every Muslim. MURIC cannot afford to ignore the welfare of more than 150 million Muslims. To make Nigeria trully great, politically stable and economically buoyant is therefore the concern of the Muslim Rights Concern.”

 

#NairaRecovery

#KudosTinubu

#KudosCardoso

 

Professor Ishaq Akintola, 

Executive Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).

 

2027: LAGOS MUSLIMS YEARN FOR THEIR OWN - MURIC

 

16^th April, 2024

PRESS RELEASE:

2027: LAGOS MUSLIMS YEARN FOR THEIR OWN - MURIC

 

Muslims in Lagos State are yearning for one of their own as governor come 2027. This was disclosed by an Islamic human rights organization, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).

 

In a statement circulated to pressmen on Tuesday, 16th April, 2024, the group's Executive Director and Founder, Professor Ishaq Akintola, said any attempt to impose a Christian governor on Lagos for a third time will be a violation of the rules of fairness, equity, inclusivity and participatory democracy.

 

The full statement reads:

 

"As Nigerian politicians settle down for governance around the country, plans are also being made for 2027. Already, new alliances are taking shape while profound pronouncements that serve the interest of different groups are being made. 

 

"In order not to be caught unawares, Muslims of Lagos State are setting the machinery in motion to ensure that one of them, a fellow Muslim, emerges as governor in 2027. 

 

"It is the only path to sanity in the Lagos political architecture. The incumbent, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, is a Christian. He took over from Akinwunmi Ambode, a Christian, after the latter's second term ambition was truncated. 

 

“In a metropolitan and multi-religious state, it is only natural that Muslims will make this demand at this point in time. It should be noted that the Christians of Lagos made a similar demand in 2013 for a Christian to be governor. That was how Ambode became governor in 2015.

 

"Instead of spending only one term to complete the Christian occupation of Lagos government house, Sanwo-Olu went ahead for a second term thereby shortchanging the Muslims. The Christians would have spent a whole twelve years in government by 2027.

 

"Nobody should come around this time ventilating the gospel of competence, the pre-eminence of skill or the priority of talent. They are mere smokescreens designed to hoodwink the public. Competence abounds everywhere. Nigerians, and indeed Muslims, are highly skilled. 

 

"No section of Nigeria suffers from any desertification of competence. Muslims are talented just as Christians are skilled. Competent people can be found in the North, West and East. It is those in power who should sniff around well enough to locate competent Nigerians. They should not concentrate on one religious group or sector.

 

"It is an insult to the collective intelligence of Nigerian Muslims to give appointments to Christians only with the excuse that you have given those appointments to competent people. Let's not repeat that again please. It is nauseating. 

 

"It depends on where you looked. It reflects the direction where you spread your tentacles.  To conduct a fair, objective and balanced search, leaders must extend their dragnets to both Muslim and Christian individuals, professionals and communities. That is fairness. Searches must be conscious of the need for inclusiveness. So must the position of state governors.

 

"No group must be seen to be enjoying the monopoly of power. Christians have been governors for three solid terms (Ambode: 2015-2019; Sanwo-Olu: 2019-2027). It should therefore be the turn of the Muslims in 2027.  

 

"Any attempt to impose a Christian governor on Lagos for a third time will break the rules of fairness, equity, inclusivity and participatory democracy. It will also be an encroachment on Allah-given fundamental rights of Lagos Muslims to participate in all aspects of governance and to exercise their civils rights to vote and be voted for.

 

"We have not said Ambode under-performed. No, he took Lagos to the next level in his own time. Sanwo-Olu has also been doing wonders since 2019. But that is not the point. True democracy does not hero-worship. Neither does it perpetuate or concentrate power in one hand. 

 

"That is why elections are held every four years no matter how well the incumbent has performed and his or her second mandate must end after the second term even if he has performed magic. 

 

"The Christians must therefore step aside for their Muslim counterparts in Lagos by 2027 even if Ambode and Sanwo-Olu have given helicopters to every single Lagosian, daily lunch tickets at Sheraton to every civil servant and free train and bus rides at all times on both the red and blue lines in the state of aquatic squalor.

 

"Let's stop underrating and in the process marginalising Muslims in the political arena. We can beat our chests that Professor Ishaq Oloyede is the best performing public officer in Nigeria today. Somebody found him and it would not have happened if he had not looked in the direction of the Muslims. 

 

"Professor Ibrahim Ali Isa Pantami would not have surfaced in the public sphere as a cyber security genius if we had held tightly to the dogma of 'no talent among Muslims'. Professor Babagana Zulum is generally accepted as the best performing governor in Nigeria. He is a Muslim. There are many more hidden talents in the Muslim camp. 

 

"There is no gainsaying the fact that any political party that picks Oloyede as its 2027 gubernatorial candidate in Ogun State is destined to win by a huge landslide. Ditto for Pantami for Gombe State. The interesting side is that both are Islamic scholars, not ordinary Muslims. Lagos Muslims have their own gems. Give them equal opportunity as Ambode and Sanwo-Olu were given."

 

#Lagos2027

#Lagos2027ForMuslim

 

Professor Ishaq Akintola, 

Executive Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).

 

MURIC TO TWO ENUGU VARSITIES: YOUR EXAMS ARE ILLEGAL

 

13^th April, 2024

PRESS RELEASE:

MURIC TO TWO ENUGU VARSITIES: YOUR EXAMS ARE ILLEGAL

An Islamic human rights advocacy group, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has declared examinations taken in two universities in Enugu on Tuesday and Wednesday 9th and 10th March 2024 respectively illegal, null and void.

In a statement issued on Saturday, 13th April, 2024, the group's Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, described the examinations as illegal and unacceptable by any standard because they were taken on days declared as public holidays by the Federal Government (FG). The group called for the cancellation of the examination and tests.

The full statement reads:

"Reports reaching us from the University of Nigeria Enugu Campus (UNEC) and the Federal University of Allied Health Sciences, Enugu, reveal that both institutions ignored the holidays declared on Tuesday and Wednesday by the Federal Government (FG). While the former conducted examinations on Salah day, the latter held two tests on that day.

"These are acts of insubordination and outright disobedience on the part of the vice chancellors of both institutions. We expect the minister of education to take up the matter with them. Failure to call them to order will only egg them further to act arrogantly against policies and decisions of FG in future.

“It has never been heard that a university based in the Muslim dominated North conducted an examination or test during a Christmas or Easter holiday. Some authorities in the South-East are out-Heroding Herod in their quest to persecute Muslims by all means. Islamophobia is becoming rampant in that zone but what is surprising is that, this time, it is coming from higher institutions where people are expected to be more liberal.

"Meanwhile we are constrained to declare both the examination and the tests taken in both universities as illegal, illegitimate, unlawful and unconstitutional. They are ultra vires, null and void.

"We call on the vice chancellor's of those two institutions to ensure that no student, whether Muslim or Christian, who missed the examination or the tests is sanctioned. Those events never happened. There was simply no examination. Neither was there any test because nothing of that nature is expected to happen during a properly declared holiday. At least there is ample evidence that the holidays were announced ahead of time and long enough for all members of the public to be fully aware.

"That examination and those two tests constitute a void, a sham, a nullity and anything built on nullity remains a nullity. That examination never took place in UNEC and no tests were held in the Federal University of Allied Health Sciences, Enugu. That is the position of the law.

"No examination or test held in any school, polytechnic or university on a public holiday can be recognized by the law. A public holiday is holiday period for all and sundry, civil servants, teachers, lecturers and students. The law does not recognize invigilators and candidates on public holidays.

"MURIC advises the two vice chancellors, through the deans of the erring faculties, with the active participation of the heads of departments, to instruct the lecturers to cancel the ill-conceived, bitterness-loaded and luciferous examination and tests. They never took place. This is the soft landing we can offer the erring lecturers, department and faculty.

"It is our fervent hope that nobody will make any attempt to massage egos because both the heads of departments and the deans of the faculties where this abnormality occurred may have to explain the reason for their dereliction of duty. Damage-control measures may be too late at that time."

#MinisterOfEducation

#PublicHoliday

#NoExamNoTest

 

Professor Ishaq Akintola, 

Executive Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).

 

 

SALAH MESSAGE: HARDSHIP: SEEK FORGIVENESS, CHANGE, BE PATIENT – MURIC

 

11^th April, 2024

SALAH MESSAGE

HARDSHIP: SEEK FORGIVENESS, CHANGE, BE PATIENT – MURIC

 

Nigerians have been advised to seek forgiveness from their Creator, Allah, to change their ways, eschew greed and appreciate what Allah has done for them. Furthermore, they are to see the current economic hardship as a trial from Allah for which they need patience in order to overcome it and receive divine blessings.

 

The advice was contained in a Salah message circulated to journalists on Thursday, 11th April, 2024, by the Executive Director of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), Professor Ishaq Akintola. 

 

The message reads:

 

"We congratulate the Nigerian Ummah (Muslim Community) on the successful completion of the 2024 (1445AH) Ramadan season. In particular, we felicitate with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima as well as the Sultan of Sokoto and President General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar. 

 

"It is our wish to ponder over the present economic hardship being experienced by Nigerians. In the first place, we submit that Nigeria has been blessed in all ramifications including a wonderful and extended landscape, rich and fertile land, unlimited mineral resources as well as human capital wealth. Qur'an 20:118-119 and 16:112 alluded to these blessings. 

 

"But in spite of Allah's warning that Shaytan (Satan) is man's open enemy and that we should not allow him to deceive us into forgetting Allah's blessings (20:117), we hobnobbed with Shaytan, became greedy and committed evil on both land and sea (30:41) and failed to appreciate Allah (fakafarat bi ani'umillahi) and as a result of our ingratitude, Allah made us taste the pangs of hunger and fear (16:112).

 

"We therefore urge Nigerians to see the current hardship as a direct impact of our bad past and a trial (2:155 and 29:2) which we should patiently contend with and seek the forgiveness of Allah in order to overcome the hardship and receive divine blessings. According to the Glorious Qur'an, those who face the trial with forbearance will receive the mercy and blessings of Allah (2:157). 

 

"Consequently, MURIC calls on Nigerians to desist from trading blames, to cultivate a positive attitude towards their country, to seek forgiveness from their Supreme Creator, turn a new leaf and face the future with patience and hardwork."

 

#SeekForgiveness

#Patience

 

Professor Ishaq Akintola, 

Executive Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).

 

FURORE OVER FG’S N90B HAJJ SUBSIDY UNNECESSARY – MURIC

 

5^th April, 2024

PRESS RELEASE:

FURORE OVER FG’S N90B HAJJ SUBSIDY UNNECESSARY – MURIC  

 

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu recently approved a N90 billion subsidy for the 2024 hajj operation. However, the move has been heavily criticized by some individuals and groups. Meanwhile an Islamic human rights advocacy organization, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has waded into the issue.

 

In a statement made available to journalists on Friday, 5^th April, 2024, Professor Ishaq Akintola, Founder and Executive Director of the group, said criticism of the hajj subsidy was spiced with bad blood, garnished with toxic faith and served with tramadolised religiousity.

 

The full statement reads:

 

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu recently approved a N90 billion subsidy for the 2024 hajj operation. However, the move has been heavily criticized by some individuals and groups. Some of the critics accused the president of giving undue favour to Muslim pilgrims because he is also a Muslim.

 

“Some even went as far as describing what Tinubu did as sponsoring Muslims on hajj. We can take it from there. There is a world of difference between sponsoring hajj and subsidizing it. To sponsor hajj, government has to pay the whole bill including the return ticket, accommodation in Saudi Arabia, feeding, etc, whereas it is only a part of the bill that government will pay in case of subsidy.

 

“We need to clarify our position on subsidising and sponsoring hajj as defined above within the context of the recent N90 billion subsidy offered by the Tinubu administration to support 2024 Muslim pilgrims.

 

“MURIC had opposed sponsorship of hajj by the federal, state, local government or government agencies in our statement of 14^th June, 2017, (https://dailytrust.com/hajj-fare-muric-begs-fg-state-goverments-to-stop-sponsoring-intending-pilgrims/). We still stand on this pronouncement. Even the Nigerian Supreme Council For Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) took this stand earlier in 2016 (https://punchng.com/stop-organising-hajj-muslim-council-tells-fg/).

 

“Tinubu’s subsidy is a horse of another colour. This is because the president’s intervention is not outright sponsorship but a rescue mission. Such rescue missions are not uncommon in the past when the nation was faced with a crisis that required government’s intervention.

 

“The Muslim pilgrims of 2024 had demonstrated expression of interest and committed themselves to the hajj scheme by paying the initial amount of N4.9 million in full. But the global economic downturn and the Nigerian foreign exchange bruhaha forced the hajj authorities (NAHCON) to demand an additional N1.9 million.

 

“At this point most of the prospective pilgrims had reached the end of their tethers. Some of them were able to raise the first tranche of N4.9 million by selling their properties. Others raised it by saving over a period of five or more years.

 

“To fully understand the plight of 2024 intending pilgrims, we may need to compare the fees paid by 2023 pilgrims. 2023 Hajj fare was N1.8m for pilgrims flying from Maiduguri and Yola. Others paid more depending on the distance (https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/592201-muslims-pilgrims-agency-nahcon-announces-2023-hajj-fare.html?tztc=1).

 

“But the cost of pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia hit the roofs this year for obvious reasons and the unfortunate prospective pilgrims faced a dilemma. It had somehow become a frustrating experience particularly for those who could not raise any additional money.

 

“The National Hajj Commission (NAHCON) has revealed that 46,000 out of the 95,000 slots given to Nigeria for the 2024 pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia have been unable to pay their fares and other charges for the 2024 hajj (https://leadership.ng/hajj-2024-46000-intending-pilgrims-yet-to-make-full-payment/#google_vignette). No responsible government anywhere in the world will ignore the plight of such a large number of its citizens under such a vulnerable and unpredictable condition. Tinubu’s intervention is therefore in order.

 

“By the way, it was not as if Tinubu played Father Christmas with the N90 billion subsidy because the actual amount needed to bail out the pilgrims was N230 billion. Many stakeholders, including the House of Representatives, appealed to the president to intervene in the matter of 2024 intending pilgrims before he made the move. Yet Tinubu did not pay the whole amount.  (https://dailytrust.com/subsidise-hajj-fare-for-intending-pilgrims-reps-tell-fg/).

 

“He did not even pay half of it. At least no mathematical abracadabra can make N90 billion one half of N230 billion. That explains why NAHCON has been appealing to state governments and other stakeholders to come up with the balance. As a result of NAHCON’s appeal, Kano, Kebbi, Kogi and a few others have added their widow’s mite.

 

“Those criticizing Tinubu’s hajj subsidy conveniently suffered collective amnesia as they elected to ignore the 2023 Christmas rice subsidy of N100 million to every honourable member of the House of Representatives (360 of them) and N200 million to every senator (109) for same. The total amount for the rice subsidy was N57.8 billion (https://dailytrust.com/tinubus-n57-8bn-rice-palliative-raises-dust/).

 

“But if they missed the Christmas rice subsidies, were they on sabbatical when Tinubu rolled out the Buhari trains gratis to subsidise the transport fares of Nigerians travelling during the 2023 Christmas? The free train rides were announced on 20^th December and the exercise took off the next day. Though planned to last till 4^th January, FG extended the boom for another week. Why have they forgotten so soon when Christmas was just three months ago? (https://leadership.ng/christmas-as-travellers-enjoy-50-slashed-fares-on-22-routes-free-train-rides/).

 

“We can all imagine what the free train rides cost the Federal Government in three weeks if we go by what the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) makes every quarter. It is on record that NRC generated N768.44 million from passengers in the first quarter of 2023, N1.10 billion in Quarter 2 and 1.48 billion in the third quarter (https://www.thecable.ng/nbs-nrc-generated-n4-2bn-from-train-services-in-nine-months/).

 

“However, the revenue fell to a paltry N1.07 billion in quarter 4 (https://dailypost.ng/2024/04/02/nrc-generated-n1-07bn-in-fourth-quarter-of-2023-nbs/). It is noteworthy that FG’s free train ride during Christmas which of course translates to Christmas transport subsidy occurred in quarter 4 and it was directly responsible for the fall in revenue.  

 

“Besides the Christmas rice subsidy and free train rides, Tinubu also ordered the slashing of the transport fares of travellers on 22 routes using private commercial buses by 50% (https://tribuneonlineng.com/yuletide-tinubu-slashes-christmas-bus-transport-cost-by-50/).

 

“Has any of the armchair critics taken the time off to estimate the humongous cost implication of the Christmas subsidies? No, their eyes are always fixated on ensuring that nothing goes to the Muslims. But are Muslim pilgrims not Nigerians?

 

“Assuming that we remove the cost of the Christmas rice subsidy which was N57.8 billion, that of the Christmas free train and that of the Christmas 50% rebate on commercial buses, what, for crying out loud, would remain of the N90 billion hajj subsidy for which idle critics now want to bring down the sky? Wouldn’t Nigerian Muslims be asking for a balance payment?

 

“The criticism of Tinubu over the hajj subsidy policy is spiced with bad blood, garnished with toxic faith and served with tramadolised religiousity. It is short in objectivity but long in acrobatic religiousity.”

 

#Hajj2024

#HajjSubsidy

#LikeChristmasSubsidyLikeHajjSubsidy

 

Professor Ishaq Akintola, 

Executive Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).