The Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC,
has frowned at the first appointments made by the newly inaugurated Governor of
Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.
Fayemi had on Tuesday evening,
named Abiodun Oyebanji as Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Biodun
Omoleye as Chief of Staff, COS, and Yinka Oyebode as Chief Press Secretary,
CPS.
Meanwhile, MURIC has
congratulated Fayemi on his well deserved electoral victory and prayed that his
tenure would bring peace and progress to the good people of the state.
In a statement signed by the
Director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola, the
group wondered why no single Muslim was among the first three appointments
since both the governor and his deputy are Christians.
“It is a dangerous signal
considering what Muslims in the state went through under the dictator and
totalitarian ruler, Ayodele Fayose who is currently rehearsing his
incarceration songs in EFCC cell in Abuja.
“In flagrant demonstration of
gymnastic religiosity and excessive hate action, Fayose demolished our mosques.
He forbade the learning of Arabic language in the state. He encouraged
matchet-brandishing masquerades and thugs to attack Muslim worshippers inside
their mosques.
“The blood of Muslims flowed
freely on the streets of Ekiti. Fayose’s ordeal has just started. We remember
that we promised to visit him in Kirikiri. We hope to keep that promise very
soon.
“Under Fayose’s administrative
misadventure, the deputy governor, speaker, deputy speaker, SSG, COS, all the
judges in the state, all the fourteen (14) commissioners, all the special
advisers except one, all the twenty six (26) permanent secretaries, all the 14
permanent secretaries, all the board chairmen, all the chairmen and members of
boards of Ekiti State University, the colleges of education and health
technology as well as all the sixteen (16) local government caretaker chairmen
except one were Christians. Muslims in the state who constitute no less than
35% of the total population were totally eclipsed. It had better not happen
again under Fayemi.
“Yesterday’s appointments hit us
pretty hard. Three straight appointments at a go and none went to a Muslim.
Incidentally, all three appointments are very crucial. They are personnel who
must essentially stay close to the governor every hour of the day. We are
becoming disillusioned.
“Et tu Fayemi! How can the
Muslims start getting the same treatment they received under Fayose when they
gave you massive support during the election? We know you as a moderate and
tolerant Christian. Have you changed? What went wrong? We hope our fears will
be addressed in the next few days and weeks as your government takes proper
shape. It is only fair that Muslims are given proper representation in the
appointment of commissioners, board chairmen, etc.
“It is on record that Muslims
received good attention during Fayemi’s first tenure as governor of the state
and we expect nothing less. Fayemi was the first governor in the whole South
West to allow female Muslim students in public schools to use hijab even
without any protests or legal action. That action alone gave us the impression
that Fayemi is one of the few Christians in Nigeria who is ready and willing to
promote religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
“In our closing remarks, MURIC
calls on the new governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, to continue to promote religious
tolerance. We urge him to close ranks with Muslims in the state and to show the
world that he is not a religious bigot like his immediate predecessor. We
remind the ruling party in Ekiti state that Muslims deserve a fair share in the
political appointments to be announced in the next few weeks.”
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This is how they start,MURIC should be made to know the Govt run on competency and not the religion you belong to.Fayemi should stand firm and if not I see these people interfering with his Govt and it may turn it to something else.
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