THE Muslim Ummah of Southwest of Nigeria, (MUSWEN), has called on politicians across the country to play the game according to the rule bearing in mind that all power belongs to Allah alone.
MUSWEN, in a communique issued at the end of its fourth strategic retreat held at Gbongan, Osun State, said as the general elections is fast approaching, the political situation in Nigeria is currently on a high pitch and tension soaked, with aspirants, across all levels flagrantly disregarding modesty, oozing unprecedentedly large scale corruption, as also prevalent even in sensitive government quarters.
The retreat, themed: ‘’MUSWEN: Anchoring the pillar of Unity, Service and Impact.’’ The retreat was organized to revalidate the MUSWEN 2019-2030 Plan aptly described as Vision 2030.
The Retreat was attended by leaders of selected Muslim bodies including Muslim Community Leaders of the Southwest States of Nigeria; Nasrul-Lahi-l-Fatih Society, NASFAT; The Companion, Anwar-ul-Islam, Muslim Association of Nigeria, Nawair-ud-Deen Society of Nigeria. The Criterion as well as the Federation of Muslim Women Associations in Nigeria, FOMWAN. Other attendees were Muslims thought leaders across sectors from the academia, business, the professions including Mallam Yusuf Ali.
In the communique signed by it’s Executive Secretary, Professor Muslih Tayo Yahya, MUSWEN said it was highly disturbed about the violence reported in the conduct of some of the party primaries which clearly indicated that many Nigerian politicians still regard politics as a do-or-die affair.
“We therefore call on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to apply the relevant laws against erring office seekers who are well known to the electoral body since its officials monitored the primaries,” it stated.
MUSWEN further urged Muslims of voting age to obtain their Permanent Voters Card and those who have obtained theirs to jealously protect them and use the cards to enthrone purposeful leaders.
The group said insecurity and criminality across all regions of Nigeria is on a disturbing increase with no clear design or strategy by governments to stem or stop the trend.
It therefore called on the Federal and State governments to view the security situation as totally intolerable, urging the security chiefs top up their game from what now appears to be a state of helplessness on their part.
On ASUU strike, MUSWEN said the Federal Government should immediately accede to the legitimate demands of ASUU and pay more attention to issues affecting the entire educational sector accessible to the lowly in the society.
Also, it enjoined religious and community leaders to constantly educate and engage the citizenry, especially the youth on the need for peaceful co-existence and respect for sanctity of human lives and respect for religious beliefs of other.
MUSWEN however, condemned in unmistaken terms, the brutal and inhuman murder of a pregnant Muslim woman and her four children in Anambra State recently and called on security agencies to fish out the killers and bring them to justice.
Similarly, MUSWEN equally deplored the killing of a Christian female student in Sokoto State for alleged blasphemy.
“While we condemn blasphemy against Prophet Muhammed (PBOH) and other principal personalities in other religions, we are in agreement with the position of Sharia that sanctions for any offence, including blasphemy can only be applied by constituted authorities after judicial pronouncements,”it stated.
MUSWEN called on Muslims in South West Nigeria and indeed nationwide to continue to live in harmony with their non-Muslim neighbours.
