Kehinde Fajobi
Ishaq Oloyede, Secretary-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), has called on South-West leaders to support the establishment of Sharia panels in the region. Oloyede, also the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), argued that the panels would help foster peace and religious harmony in the area.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, Oloyede expressed concern over the growing misunderstanding surrounding the issue.
He pointed out that Sharia panels had already existed in the region for years, noting that the matter had even been the subject of a 2007 PhD thesis in Oyo State.
“I believe that Nigeria is great and Nigeria will continue to be great, but it requires a lot of rethinking. Recently, people are talking about Sharia panels in South-West and I was just smiling; I was smiling that I had never seen that level of ignorance being displayed,” Oloyede said.
He also highlighted the psychological burden Muslims in the South-West face due to the region’s peaceful coexistence, pointing out that they are often forced to turn to customary courts for issues related to Islamic marriage disputes.
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“When you have such a situation (of religious tolerance) and you do not continue to monitor what you are doing, you will be living in the past. I’m a Muslim from the South-West.
“The Muslims from the South-West pay psychologically for the peace and harmony that we are talking about,” Oloyede added.
Oloyede also criticised those attacking the Sultan of Sokoto for voicing concerns, stressing that Muslims in Nigeria practice the same Islam and should practice tolerance toward one another.