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On Friday, the 22nd day of June, 2018, the National Christian Elders Forum (NCEF) held a press conference on what they called “the causes and solutions to conflicts in Nigeria”. The press statement issued at the press conference was full of spurious allegations, concocted lies, incitement, songs of war unbecoming of true elders and people who are supposed to play the role of statesmen. The only conclusion deductible from their vituperation is that they are ready for another Zango Kataf war where one of them is a known mastermind and supervisor of genocide against innocent Muslims. This time around, their targeted victims are the entire Nigerian Muslims who have committed no wrong than that one of them who they (the so-called elders) hate so much is occupying, God-willing, the seat of power as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
In their spurious press statement, the NCEF claims that June 12 declaration made by President Buhari is a stealth Jihad and all those granted the national honours are Muslims and the purpose was to swell the ranks of Muslims holding national honours in Nigeria. We wonder when religion has become a criteria for conferring national honours on Nigerians. It is a common fact that the award of GCFR is reserved for Presidents and Heads of State, dead and living while GCON is mainly bestowed on Vice Presidents. It was the former President Goodluck Jonathan who conferred the award of GCON on Aliko Dangote for his unequalled contribution to economic development of Nigeria. Chief Gani Fawehinmi who was also awarded GCON by President Buhari is, without any argument, the best of this generation in his fight for good governance and enthronement of democracy, a single minded struggle that ultimately led to his death. Prof Humphrey Nwosu played his historical part for the enthronement of democracy in 1993, but with due respect, he is not in the same league with Gani Fawehinmi in the sense of a lifetime struggle.
The Christian elders also accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of fighting Jihad by prosecuting only Christians citing the case of former Governor Joshua Dariye as an example. While we have no plan to hold brief for EFCC, we need to remind the NCEF if they have forgotten or they pretend to have forgotten that one of the first causalities of EFCC prosecution was Mr Tafa Balogun, a Muslim and former Inspector General of Police under a Muslim-headed EFCC, Mr. Nuhu Ribadu. No Muslim alleged victimization on the basis of religion. Also to be noted is that among those being prosecuted are former governor Sule Lamido, Ibrahim Shekarau and Rasheed Ladoja among a host of other Muslims who are currently being prosecuted by the same EFCC.
It is however our contention that what the Christian elders fail to tell Nigerians is that they are beneficiaries of the loot of the convicted governors especially Joshua Dariye who did not at any time hide his hatred for Islam and the Muslims while his regime witnessed the worst religious war and ethnic cleansing in Plateau State. No wonder these religious bigots-turned-elders are passionate about him, and not even mentioning Rev Jolly Nyame who was convicted before him.
At this juncture, the MSSN B-Zone commend President Goodluck Jonathan under whose government the former governors were arraigned on charges of corruption. We also commend the present government of President Muhammadu Buhari and the EFCC for prosecuting the case to conviction. We appreciate the judiciary especially the Judge (a God fearing Christian) who convicted the two governors without fear or favour. We believe that such is good for our nation as it will serve as deterrent to others. The fight against corruption must be total, without fear or favour to any one irrespective of whatever affiliations.
Another headache of the Christian elders is the inclusion of Shari’ah in the Nigerian Constitution forgetting that the whole common law system forced on all of us in this country is basically Christian with Christian background. We make bold to challenge these so-called elders to deny this. It was imposed on Nigerians by the Christian Colonialists who came with colonization and christianization. In fact, the Muslims of the South-West cannot forget so soon how the earlier Muslim children had to be converted to Christianity before they could be enrolled in schools. For instance, Chief Richard Akinjide (SAN) was Rasheed, before he was made to change his name to Richard because of western education. We can mention several others.
It may also interest the advocates of elimination of Shari’ah to know that the Islamic Legal System (the Shari’ah) was not only practiced in the North as the sole legal system, some notable towns in Yorubaland such as Iwo, Ede, Ikirun, Epe practised Shari’ah criminal law, established Shari’ah Courts and appointed Shari’ah judges. Therefore, Shari’ah is not only the legacy of the North, it is also part of the legacies of the Yoruba Muslims.
We want it to be clear to them that Islam is Shari’ah and Shari’ah is Islam. One cannot be extricated from the other, and nobody can deny us the practice and expression of what we believe as the truth. The Nigerian Constitution which governs over us all gives freedom of religion and Shari’ah is part of it. Anybody who is a Muslim must believe in this and we owe nobody any apology for this.
The so-called Christian Elders erroneously claimed that Chief Moshood Kasimowo Olawale Abiola was not a sunni Muslim. What a clear ignorance! In the first instance, what is their concern about this? If they had cared at all for just a little intellectual effort and do a bit of research, they would have known that Chief MKO Abiola was not only a Sunni Muslim, he was a staunch believer of Shari’ah as a way of life. Have they forgotten so soon that Chief Abiola was one of the Muslims who staged a walk-out during the 1978 Constituent Assembly in support of establishment of separate and independent shari’ah legal system which the Nigerian Muslims were advocating for? What was later inserted in the constitution was a compromise which has also passed through the successive constitutions and withered down in the process, and we cannot settle for less.
It is also laughable that the NCEF in one breathe claims the President is not prosecuting the Hausa/Fulani and Muslims while in another breathe hypocritically protecting the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki who is answering to criminal charges before the Code of Conduct Tribunal and indeed the Nigerian Police, forgetting that the Senate President is also an Hausa/Fulani Muslim. Are these elders, or religious fanatics! What a double standard!
Having said this, the MSSN B-Zone calls on the office of the Security Adviser to the President, the Department of State Service (DSS), the Nigerian Police and other security agencies to beam their searchlight of investigation into the activities of the Nigerian Christian Elders Forum and prosecute them under the relevant laws for incitement, hate-speech and treason. The government should consider the antecedent of people like Gen Zamani Lekwot who masterminded and supervised genocide against Muslims, and they must act fast. We do not desire a ‘Rwanda’ experience in Nigeria. We cannot forget so soon that the private jet of the former President of Christian Association of Nigeria(CAN) Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor was used for procurement of Illegal arms and ammunitions during the Dr Goodluck Jonathan era. Perhaps, the arms and ammunitions and many more have found their ways into the armoury of the Nigerian Christian Elders who might have equipped their members with it. Each of the membership of the NCEF must be arrested and investigated immediately. This is our demand. This is the singular demand of the 17-States strong Muslim youths of this country, and we shall not accept any less. God has exposed them and their agenda which is not too detached from the build up to the coming 2019 general election and PMB’s candidacy. The hatred for PMB by CAN, various notable nigerian pastors and now NCEF has been well reported in the media. Several catches of arms and ammunitions are being seized by the Nigerian Custom, but only God knows the ones that have escaped into the country. We have no choice but to regard the NCEF as the military wing of CAN, and their agenda, undoubtedly, is to unleash a Rwanda Genocide on the Muslims of this country. The FG must nip this in the bud before it is too late.
Finally, we call on the international communities to call the Christian elders to order before they plunge Nigeria into avoidable religious war. No one, including the NCEF and their members who they rather don’t care about (because if they truly do they would rather seek for a lasting peace in this country), is immune to the scars and the consequences of war if it broke out eventually.
