The Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC,
on Thursday lambasted the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike for declaring the
state a Christian State.
Wike had during a crusade
organized by the Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Church in Port Harcourt, River State
capital a few days ago declared Rivers a Christain State.
Reacting to the declaration, the
Islamic human rights organisation called on stakeholders in the “Nigerian
project” to call Wike to order.
In a press statement signed and
forwarded by its Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, the
organisation described the governor’s statement as audacious, unguarded and
reckless.
The statement reads: “At a time
when Nigeria is facing religious and ethnic crises, a state governor still has
the temerity to declare his state a Christian state. Wike is short in
intellect, long in impunity. It is not his first time of making this
pronouncement. We ignored him the first time because we did not want to dignify
him with a response. But he has just exposed himself as an analogue governor
with a triangular approach to all problems: religion, violence and impunity.
Wike cannot think outside this triangular box.
“At a time when religious
fanaticism is on the rise and the authorities are cautioning Nigerians to be
moderate, a state governor is running loose with reckless statements like, ‘I
repeat once again without apologies, Rivers is a Christian state. That is why
nobody can touch us’.
“This is nothing but articulated
demagoguery. It is audacious, preposterous and myopic. It is also a dangerous
precedent. Nonetheless, Wike’s statement must also be seen as meaningless
unless he can establish Canon law for his ‘Christian State’. That is the
challenge we like to throw at Governor Wike. He should promulgate canon law
without any hesitation, otherwise, all his boasts amount to nothing. They are
empty.
“Is Rivers the only state with
Christian majority? Wike should learn from the moderate stance of the governors
of Cross Rivers, Delta, Enugu, Anambra, Ebonyi, etc on the issue of religion.
Wike is perpetuating a culture of acrobatic religiousity. He is playing on the
intelligence of the good people of Rivers State and lending credence to Karl Marx’s
view of religion as opium of the people. He is brandishing state-sponsored
religiousity to cover his gross ineptitude.
“The spate of crime in Rivers
State is an indictment on Wike. Cult-killing is on the rise. Kidnapping has
become an obsession. Youth restiveness is everywhere in the state. But all
these are by-products of mass unemployment. This is what Wike should face.
“He should be thinking of
empowering the youth. Where are the roads built by Wike? What is the state of
Rivers’ schools? Are there drugs in the hospitals? What are the rates of infant
and maternal mortality in Rivers State? Port Harcourt is one of the most
expensive places to live in Nigeria. How can Wike bring relief to the
residents? It is high time Wike focused on governance and stopped propagating
motor-park doctrine, manifesting ‘agbero’ faculty and exhibiting ‘bolekaja’
mentality.
“Nonetheless, Wike’s statement
must also be seen as meaningless unless he can establish Canon law for his
‘Christian State’. That is the challenge we like to throw at Governor Wike. He
should promulgate canon law without any hesitation, otherwise, all his boasts
amount to nothing. They are empty. Wike’s Christian state is a red herring.
“Where is Wike’s constitutional
backing? Section 10 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
clearly prohibits state religion. It says, ‘The Government of the Federation or
of a State shall not adopt any religion as a State Religion.’ Wike’s
declaration is, therefore, ultra vires. It is null, void and of no consequence
whatsoever.
“It is illegal, unlawful and
unconstitutional for any governor to declare his state a Christian or an
Islamic state. For the avoidance of doubt, a clear difference must be seen
between Wike’s declaration and the introduction of Shariah in parts of the
North. The state legislatures of states where Shariah was introduced followed
due process. The governors did not just wake up one day and make arbitrary
declarations.
“In any case, there is also a
world of difference between declaring a state an Islamic state and merely
introducing Shariah to be used by the Muslim population. That is why several
parts of the United Kingdom, the United States and some Western countries have
introduced Shariah for their minority Muslim populations without necessarily
declaring those countries Islamic nations.
“But where are the secularists?
Where are those who claim that Nigeria is a secular state? Why is it that only
Muslims are taken up when they make declarations bordering on religious
particularism? Why are they silent now? Is this not selective judgement? Must
we always behave a la Animal Farm? Our self-righteous public commentators and
human rights lawyers would have brought heaven down if any Muslim governor made
a similar statement. Why are we like this? Who placed a curse on Nigeria? Well
known critics who fail to speak on Wike’s recent pronouncement should bury
their heads in shame.
“Before we take a break, we
remind Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State that specialisation necessitates
division of labour. He should, therefore, concentrate on governance which is
the job for which he was elected and leave evangelization and fire-brand
crusade to Christian clerics. Wike should improve the security situation in
order to attract investors and tourists. We appeal to stakeholders in the
Nigerian project to call Wike to order.”
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so states that adopted sharia what what have you said about that its time to view this group as sympartiser of boko haram
ReplyDeleteAre these people well at all? Rivers State is definitely a Christian state. Sharia law is being practiced in this country and Nigeria is a member of OIC why are they not complaining about this?
ReplyDelete