MURIC attacks TY Danjuma-led Christian body for dragging Buhari to UK parliament over alleged Islamization agenda

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MURIC attacks TY Danjuma-led Christian body for dragging Buhari to UK parliament over alleged Islamization agenda

 

The Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, on Friday described the claim by the Nigerian Christian Elders Forum, NCEF, of supposed moves by President Muhammadu Buhari to islamize Nigeria as a “compendium of lies from the pit of Jahannam”.

NCEF, under the leadership of former Defence Minister, Lt. Gen. T.Y Danjuma (retd); ex-Military Governor of Rivers State, General Zamani Lekwot (retd); and Chief Solomon Asemota, SAN, had dragged Buhari to the United Kingdom, UK, Parliament, over alleged move to Islamise Nigeria.

Alleging that the Nigerian leader was pursuing a jihad or Islamisation agenda, they told the UK parliament that Buhari was not serious about tackling insecurity arising from Boko Haram insurgency and herdsmen-farmers crises in the country.

Reacting to the allegation, MURIC stressed that the Islamization claim was “frivolous, unfounded, imaginary, untenable and unacceptable.”

In a statement signed by its Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, the group insisted that Nigerian’s membership of Organization of Islamic Cooperation, OIC, summit was not to Islamize the country.

MURIC recalled that Nigeria became a member of OIC during the regime of former Military Head of State, Gen Yakubu Gowon.

The statement reads: “Northern Christian Elders Forum (NCEF) yesterday petitioned the European Parliament over President Buhari’s attendance of the summit of the Organisation of Islamic Conference and alleged Islamisation of Nigeria. NCEF also alleged that the president was not doing enough on the security challenges facing the country.

“NCEF’s allegations are a compendium of lies from the pit of Jahannam. They are frivolous, unfounded, imaginary, untenable and unacceptable. We have no modicum of doubt that their lies will come crashing down on them like a pack of cards when the EU Parliament investigates their allegations. NCEF cannot fool the EU Parliament.

“EU Parliament will find it interesting to know that Nigeria became a member of OIC back in 1969 when General Yakubu Gowon (rtd), a Christian, took Nigeria to the organization in observer status. Gowon is not a Muslim but he needed the organisation’s support for Nigeria during the civil war (1967 – 1971). Spain, Portugal and France were supporting Biafra and Gowon found it mandatory to rally the support of African countries through Nigeria’s membership of OIC.

“It will therefore become clear that joining OIC has nothing to do with Islamisation but another way of pursuing Nigeria’s national interest. Nigeria joined for political expediency and the regularization in 1986 was merely procedural.

“Just as Gowon used the instrumentality of Nigeria’s membership of OIC to secure victory for Nigeria in the civil war, President Buhari used his physical presence at the 2019 OIC summit to return home with two juicy take-aways, not for himself, not for Jubril of Sudan, not for the Fulanis, not even for Daura, but for his country, Nigeria. OIC pledged to support Nigeria’s war against terrorism and also to support Nigeria in completing the ongoing Second Niger Bridge project.

“It is therefore unfortunate that NCEF still has the audacity to accuse Buhari of not doing enough on security issues and for attending the OIC summit. How would Nigeria have secured the organisation’s support for its war against terrorism if Buhari had not attended the summit and tabled Nigeria’s challenges there?

“Again, is the Second Niger Bridge situated in Daura? Who benefits from its completion? Is it Buhari personally, the Fulanis as a race or Islam as a creed? NCEF petition to the EU Parliament as well as the criticisms of Ohaneze and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) are therefore a mark of ingratitude. But we are certain that the petition in particular is an exercise in futility. Those behind the petition should bury their heads in shame considering the economic and security gains realized from the summit.

“Nigeria’s security challenges did not start under Buhari. The Boko Haram phenomenon started in the Obasanjo days and grew worse under Jonathan. The insurgents effectively occupied 17 local governments as far back as 2014. It was Buhari’s frontal confrontation that reduced the hoodlums to a hit and run guerrilla unit today.

“Bombs were exploding on a daily basis in Jonathan’s days but it receded to a weekly and later, monthly affair under Buhari. It was because the global terrorist network knew that Boko Haram is dying that the Islamic State of West Africa has taken over. The Nigerian security agencies kill and arrest scores of kidnappers, armed robbers and other criminals on a daily basis. Yet detractors claim that Buhari is not doing enough and NCEF thinks taking him to the EU Parliament is the solution. Where did they take Jonathan to when the North East was almost completely overrun under him? What kind of citizens drag their own country in the mud before foreigners? Nigerians are waiting to see how NCEF will succeed in its satanic mission.

“Concerning the allegation of Islamisation via the OIC, if Gowon, a Christian, took Nigeria to OIC (and he did) without Islamising Nigeria, if Obasanjo, also a Christian, attended OIC (and he did) without being Islamised, if Jonathan, another Christian, also attended OIC (and he did) without being Islamised, then this allegation is a mere tool constantly and indecently employed by professional blackmailers. Interestingly, it is used selectively, particularly when a Muslim is in power.

“We will not succumb to such cheap blackmail and we have no scintilla of doubt that the EU Parliament which is full of credible and intelligent democrats as well as other lovers of truth around the world will see through this gimmick. Do they even think the EU Parliament is made up of mischievous people like them? Do they think the rest of the world have not found out the truth about what is going on in Nigeria? They have merely exposed themselves for what they really are. Petitioning the EU Parliament with a document loaded with fabrications is petty, demeaning and unpatriotic.

“We are however miffed by the eagerness of our Christian neighbours to lie at will just to blackmail Muslim leaders. This clearly amplifies a major characteristic of the NCEF and its cohorts, namely, failure to practice the teachings of the scripture.

“One of the injunctions in the Ten Commandments says ‘Thou shall not lie’ (Exodus 20:16). Leviticus 19:11 says, ‘Do not steal, do not lie, do not deceive one another’. Proverbs 13:5 refers to liars as shameless people, ‘The righteous hate what is false, but the wicked make themselves a stench and bring shame on themselves’. In his letter to the Colossians, Paul advised them against telling lies, ‘Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices’ (Colossians 3:9 – 11).

“We urge President Muhammadu Buhari to ignore NCEF’s tantrums and continue his good work. Posterity will record him as the father of modern Nigeria, a nation that came out of the ruins of squandermania, moral debauchery, suicide-instilling roads and epileptic electricity to become one of the global best in transparency, probity, integrity and infrastructure.

“On a last note, we appreciate majority of Nigerian Christians who do not peddle or believe these diabolical lies. We reiterate that we are one with all righteous Christians who follow the teachings of Jesus (peace be upon him) to the letter. We appeal to Nigerians in general to seize the opportunity of Buhari’s credible leadership to join hands together with their Muslim neighbours in buiding a prosperous nation. We remind NCEF that it diminishes its corporate entity to run down its own country using unfounded allegations for parochial reasons. NCEF is advised to eschew lies. The world is now a global village. Therefore, NCEF cannot fool the EU Parliament.”

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Past leaders laid foundation for Islamisation of Nigeria – CAN backs Obasanjo

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Past leaders laid foundation for Islamisation of Nigeria – CAN backs Obasanjo

 

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has commended former President Olusegun Obasanjo for coming out to speak against the alleged planned Fulanization/Islamization of the country.

CAN also urged the Federal Government to take the alarm raised by the former President seriously and act accordingly.

The Christian body stated this through its National Director, Legal and Public Affairs, Evangelist Kwamkur Samuel Vondip, on the forthcoming CAN presidential elections and the state of the nation, in Jos, the Plateau State Capital.

Vondip said, “Level of insecurity of the nation; the increase and expansion of the activities of insurgencies, armed bandits, armed robbery, kidnappers, killer Fulani herdsmen seem to have continued unabated.

“We expect the government to be bold enough to take responsibility and be sincere in providing convincing lasting solutions.

“The situation whereby the government would be denying the increasing rate of insecurity while the security budget keeps swelling up with increase in casualties amongst the security operatives, increase in number of victims and cry by communities is worrisome and calls for serious reflections.

He added that, “We advocate further for the creation of state police as the major solutions to ending this communities’ invasions by so called unknown gunmen.

“The inability of the Federal Government to ensure the release of Leah Sharibu and other abducted victims of Boko Haram gives us sleeplessness.

“One of the cardinal promises of President Buhari administration is the end to the reign of terrorism and ensuring the release of captured victims of insurgents but the first tenure ended up without achieving maximally such result. We pray and hope that President Buhari will do everything within his ability to achieve this goal if he is to be taken more seriously.

Speaking on the alleged planned Fulanization or Islamization of the country, Vondip said, “CAN believes that the foundation for Islamisation of Nigeria has since been laid by the makers of the Nigeria Constitution and some previous leaders of Nigeria.

“Particular examples are the provisions made in the Constitution for the operation of Sharia laws and courts. This makes the common law and the Sharia law to be operating in the same constitution. This naturally has divided the nation into two and sets the tone for Islamization. The implication of this scenario is confusion,” he maintained.

“Furthermore, as we have said before, the registration of Nigeria, (a secular state) as a member of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) by military fiat is a further confirmation of deliberate Islamization of the country. This calls for review if our leaders are sincere with their claim that nobody is Islamizing the country.”

The Christian body commended former President Olusegun Obasanjo for speaking against the aforementioned plan.

“We commend sincerely the position of the former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo for opening up against the planned Islamization of Nigeria. The former President simply repeated what many of our CAN leaders have said before.

“We had even taken this in written a form to the Presidency for immediate attention. If what Obasanjo said should be doubted, what is the justification for the community cleansing by killer Fulani herdsmen who jump on innocent communities in the night killing them and taking over their communities? He asked.

“We never saw any far reaching steps taken to bring these killer herdsmen to book!

“What is the justification for the Federal Government effort to create and maintain cattle routes or colony for Fulani herders despite their level of impunity? He asked.

“How can you justify the Federal Government’s establishment of a radio station for Fulani? (Though this is being denied recently that is was established for nomadic education).

“Why can’t strict security measures that silenced the IPOB in few days be taken against Boko Haram and killer Fulani Herdsmen?

According to CAN, “We cannot for many years claim that our borders are porous and nothing is done about it. Nigeria cannot afford to be losing her citizens for years because we have an uncontrolled border.

“We commend Chief Obasanjo’s boldness to speak out at this critical period of the nation. We wonder what will become the fate of Nigeria and Nigerians if respected and bold leaders like Obasanjo are no more there to speak.

“We call on the Federal Government to take seriously the alarm raised by Chief Obasanjo and act on it if they are to be trusted.

Adding that, “Chief Obasanjo has spoken the mind of many people and we urge that he should never be intimidated by government for the sake of peace”.

On the fight against corruption; CAN said, “While quite a number of Nigerians have been arrested and prosecuted with others undergoing investigation and prosecution, it is not news that a lot of corrupt former and present leaders are moving freely suggesting the selective nature of the fight.

“It is a shame to our nation and for citizens to believe the notion that when you join the team of the President or the ruling party then ‘your sins are forgiven’.

“The fight against corruption must go beyond media propaganda and be wholistic and no less,” the Christian body stressed.

Speaking on the forthcoming CAN elections, the CAN Official said, “Each bloc was contacted to submit names of candidates interested in contesting for the office of the President.

“Three blocs indicated interest namely, CCN, OAIC and TEKAN/ECWA. The Electoral College which was inaugurated early May 2019 has sat on the nominations and elected two out of the three candidates namely Rev. Dr Samson Ayokunle the current President of CAN who is going for a possible second tenure from CCN and Rev. Dr Caleb Solomon Ahima from TEKAN/ECWA.

He maintained that, “From the forgoing, there are only two stages remaining for the election to be completed.

“The National Executive Committee (NEC) will vote for the two nominated candidates and the person with the highest vote will be deemed elected as President while the runner up will be considered elected as the Vice President.

According him, “The process will be completed with the final ratification of the two elected leaders by the National Assembly of the Association at a later date.”

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Boko Haram/ISWAP: FG reacts to Obasanjo’s claim on islamization, fulanization of Nigeria/Africa

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Boko Haram/ISWAP: FG reacts to Obasanjo’s claim on islamization, fulanization of Nigeria/Africa

 

The federal government has asked former president Olusegun Obasanjo to withdraw his recent comments which imputed ethno-religious motive to Boko Haram, ISWAP, terrorism in the country, as well as apologise to Nigerians.

We had reported that Obasanjo on Saturday decried the high level of insecurity in Nigeria, stating that the Federal Government alone cannot tackle the menace.

He regretted that both Boko Haram and herdsmen acts of violence were not treated as they should at the beginning.

According to him, “They have both incubated and developed beyond what Nigeria cannot handle alone. They are now combined and internationalized with ISIS in control.

“It is no longer an issue of lack of education and lack of employment for our youths in Nigeria which it began as, it is now West African fulanization, African Islamization and global organized crimes of human trafficking, money laundering, drug trafficking, gun trafficking, illegal mining and regime change.”

But reacting in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, averred that such “indiscreet, deeply offensive and patently divisive comments are far below the status of an elder statesman”.

He added that, “It is particularly tragic that a man who fought to keep Nigeria one is the same one seeking to exploit the country’s fault lines to divide it in the twilight of his life”.

The minister stated that Boko Haram and ISWAP are terrorist organisations pure and simple, adding that they care little about ethnicity or religion when perpetrating their senseless killings and destruction.

”Since the Boko Haram crisis, which has been simmering under the watch of Obasanjo, boiled over in 2009, the terrorist organisation has killed more Muslims than adherents of any other religion.

“The terrorist group blown up more mosques than any other houses of worship and is not known to have spared any victim on the basis of their ethnicity.

“It is therefore absurd to say that Boko Haram and its ISWAP variant have as their goal the ‘Fulanisation and Islamisation’ of Nigeria, West Africa or Africa,” he said.

Mohammed pointed out that President Muhammadu Buhari put to rest the mis-characterization of Boko Haram as an Islamic organisation when he said, in his inaugural speech in 2015, that ”Boko Haram is a mindless, godless group who are as far away from Islam as one can think of”.

He reiterated that Obasanjo’s comments were therefore, “as insensitive and mischievous as they are as offensive and divisive in a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country like Nigeria”.

“It is wondering whether there is no limit to how far the former President will go in throwing poisonous darts at his perceived political enemies.”

The minister noted that Obasanjo’s prescriptions for ending the Boko Haram/ISWAP crisis, which include seeking assistance outside the shores of Nigeria, are coming several years late.

He said President Buhari had done that and more since assuming office, “hence, the phenomenal success he has recorded in tackling the terrorists”.

”Shortly after assuming office in 2015, President Buhari’s first trips outside the country were to rally the support of Nigeria’s neighbours – Benin, Cameroon, Chad and Niger – for the efforts to battle the terrorists.

“The President also rallied the support of the international community, starting with the G7, and then the US, France
and the UN.

”That explains the massive degrading of Boko Haram, which has since lost its capacity to carry out the kind of spectacular attacks for which it became infamous, and the recovery of every inch of captured Nigerian territory from the terrorists,” he said.

The Minister also noted that Obasanjo’s call for wide consultations with various groups as part of the efforts to tackle the Boko Haram crisis has been neutralised by his ill-advised comments which have served more to alienate a large number of Nigerians, who are offended by his tactless and distasteful postulation.

He called on the former president, whom he said took bullets for Nigeria’s unity, not to allow personal animosity to override his love for a united Nigeria.

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