Soji Ajibola, Ibadan
Muslim Right Concern has called on the Federal Government to reconsider its decision on the list of the successful candidates for its scholarship scheme.
In a statement, MURIC Director, Prof Ishaq Akintola, stated the list violated the principle of Federal Character.
The list, according to the statement, is allegedly attached to a letter written by a prominent Nigerian citizen in the diaspora to the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, complaining that the list was an embarrassment to the entire North.
MURIC said, “It had better not be true. The entire19 Northern states have just 21 successful candidates while the 17 Southern states have 70 candidates.
“This list has greatly short-changed the North. What criteria was used to generate this anti-North list? Worse still, there is only one Muslim among the 13 successful candidates from North Central.
“This is unacceptable. Such an exercise can only be designed for the purpose of Christianising the North. It is as diabolical as it is Islamophobic. If confirmed, it means another cunny move to Christianise Nigeria has just been uncovered.
“Although, we suspect that this list may be another fake news and the handiwork of enemies of peace, yet the Federal Government must speak up on it before it causes further damage to the already thin veneer of mutual confidence in the North-South dichotomy as well as the fragile Christian/Muslim relationship in the country.
“Not only that, it has been used as a tool for playing tortuous religious politics, particularly the preference for picking minority Christians from predominantly Muslim areas. This could only have been intended to further deepen ignorance and poverty among the Muslims while the infinitesimally small Christian group in the North is unjustly lifted into the circle of elites and the bourgeoisie.
According to MURIC, it is rather unfortunate that while “we consistently lay emphasis on the need for fair distribution of the dividends of democracy among all groups, some unpatriotic elements are determined to continue exhibiting gymnastic religiousity in their official capacities.
“In spite of recent attempts to smear our image in order to blackmail us into silence, MURIC will not keep quiet in the face of elite tyranny. We will not kowtow to the poohpooh of shenanigans masquerading as regional heroes.
“We will never accept discrimination against any tribe. We will continue to stand for justice, fairness and equity no matter whose ox is gored. Stability, peace and prosperity in every part of Nigeria is the major concern of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).”