The Director of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC); Professor Ishaq Akintola has issued a statement advising the executive governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, to desist from actions and utterances that are capable of causing a rift within the muslim community in Oyo State
Dr. Akintola stated this in a statement circulated to the media on Friday, 15th November, 2019.
Read the full text of the press release below:
Makinde is backing the wrong horse. He lost the support of mainstream Muslim Ummah long ago and the raison d’etre is not far-fetched. Makinde has become notorious as a potential serial mosque destroyer. The same Makinde who threatened to demolish the mosque in Iwo Road is the same man who has threatened to pull down Olore Mosque, all within six months of resuming office. Do we still need a soothsayer to tell us Makinde’s real mission in government?
We have no scintilla of doubt that the young governor is engaging in political masturbation. Worse still, Makinde’s decision to snub Kunle Sanni, the undisputed bona fide generalissimo of Islamic acvitism in Oyo State is a manifestation of poor judgement.
Apart from being the sitting chairman of Oyo State Muslim Community, Kunle Sanni is the rallying point for both the National Council of Muslim Youth Organisations (NACOMYO) and the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN). Makinde must be a poor student of history and, most unfortunately for him, there is no Bola Ige to remind him how dangerous the cobra’s head can be.
For the sake of microscopic accuracy, we affirm that Makinde’s impression of a religiously united South West is a mirage, a looming phantom. Religious proliferation among the same families in the sub-region may be true, but religious hostility is most pronounced among the religious institutions in the same area.
Yoruba people coexist peacefully in the same families and houses because they already know themselves. They hardly oppose one another’s faith as individuals but they are the most bitter enemies of their brothers’ and their neighbours’ religious institutions. The same brothers and sisters who belong to different religions and who live together peacefully in the same houses are the same faithfuls who fight tooth and nail against the interest of one anothers’ religious institution.
For instance, whereas a pastor and an Imam may emerge from the same family and coexist peacefully at home, the same pastor will not blink an eyelid when opposing Islamic institutions like Islamic banking, shariah or use of hijab. Those who lock out Muslim girls from their schools on account of hijab are fellow Yoruba people and the victims (the poor Muslim girls) are also of Yoruba extraction. Those who ensure that 98% of available jobs go to Christians in the sub-region are also fellow Yorubas. Ditto for the oppressors of Muslim women in health centres and other public places in the zone.
We advise Governor Makinde to desist from his game of divide et impera. He should look very well before he leaps. Kunle Sanni is the leader of Oyo State Muslims and those who want Oyo State Muslims to respect them must give him his due respect. Kunle Sanni is active on the field. We respect our title holders but we assert firmly that no armchair title holder can displace Kunle Sanni. It is just not their calling.
We remind the governor of Oyo State that any Christian governor can embark on mosque demolition crusade and some governors love to, but it takes Solomonic wisdom to consider the pros and cons before taking a leap into a dark pit on a pitch dark night. Makinde should remove the blindfold from his eyes.
Our message to Makinde is this: Build a new mosque as replacement before demolishing any mosque. We do not want ordinary promises because we do not trust you. We know that we cannot force you to build before you demolish. But it depends on what you want Muslim worshippers to send to you when they congregate every Friday: inna atayna or tabat yada…
Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)
