Says no Christian genocide
The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has called for an urgent and comprehensive reform of Nigeria’s security architecture, even as it supported state police anchored on professionalism, constitutional safeguards, impartiality, accountability and sustainable funding.
These were contained in the communique issued by the council after its general assembly held in Abuja last Thursday, and signed by the Sultan of Sokoto and NSCIA President-General, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, and Secretary General, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, on Wednesday.
The council reiterated its earlier stance that the current security challenge in the country affects all and insisted that there were no Christian genocide in Nigeria.
“Insecurity in Nigeria affects all Nigerians regardless of faith and that there is no genocide of Christians or any religious community in Nigeria as claimed in some quarters,” the communique read in part.
While supporting decentralised policing in the country, the council noted that such reform must be anchored “on professionalism, constitutional safeguards, impartiality, accountability, sustainable funding, respect for fundamental rights and effective coordination between federal and state security institutions.”
It acknowledged the efforts of government on revamping the economy, and charged the Federal Government to expedite action on reducing the cost of transportation and food items to alleviate the hardship being faced by ordinary Nigerians.
On civic responsibility and institutional development, the council exhorted Muslims to be role models by putting in their best in their places of work and contributing more effectively to nation building by making faith a source of character, not just a tag of identity.
It further “tasked Muslims to obtain their National Identity Numbers (NINs) and Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and participate in the process of selecting Nigerian leaders at all levels”.
Asserting the “obvious that Islam has been in Igboland for several decades and across generations,” the apex Islamic body condemned any attempts by individuals and groups pretending that Muslims are not indigenous to Igboland in order to suppress and normalise attacks against them.
The NSCIA’s general assembly “called upon all government agencies to respect the right of Muslim female students, Muslim National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members, Muslim female personnel in security agencies and Muslim female staff in other work places to use hijab as their fundamental human right.”
It encouraged Muslim societies and organisations to build economic independence through lawful investments, cooperation and effective administration of Zakat and Waqf for sustainable poverty reduction.
The assembly further urged Muslim leaders to prioritise quality education that integrates sound Islamic knowledge with Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics to secure the future of the Ummah.
It, however, exhorted parents and community leaders to pay greater attention to the moral guidance of the youth who are increasingly becoming exposed to adverse foreign influences.
