Skip to main content

Stop Focusing On Opposition Party, PDP Governors — Southern, Middle Belt Assembly Warns Islamic Group, MURIC

February 10, 2022

MURIC, in a statement on Wednesday, had alleged that Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State is a Muslim-hater.

The Southern and Middle Belt Youth Leaders Assembly, COSMBYLA, has warned the Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC and its director, Ishaq Akintola over a statement the latter made describing four state governors as Muslim-haters.
MURIC, in a statement on Wednesday, had alleged that Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State is a Muslim-hater.

Image


The group had also accused Governors Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Nyesom Wike of Rivers State of being Muslim-haters.
MURIC further threatened that it had blacklisted the above-listed from occupying federal offices as perceived Muslim-haters.
In their reaction, COSMBYLA warned MURIC against defaming the governors, describing the allegations as unfortunate, according to a statement made available to newsmen signed by its President General, Goodluck Egwu Ibem.
The group, an umbrella body of all the youth groups in the South East, South-South, South West and Middle Belt region, described MURIC's position as cheap political blackmail particularly considering that all the accused governors are members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
The statement reads, “The attention of the Coalition of Southern and Middle Belt Youth Leaders Assembly, COSMBYLA, has been drawn to a cheap political blackmail wherein the group director of Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola falsely accused the executive governors of Rivers State, Barr. Nyesom Wike; the executive governor of Oyo State, Governor Seyi Makinde; the executive governor of Benue State, Dr Samuel Ortom; and the executive governor of Taraba State, Governor Darius Ishaku of being Muslim haters.
“Such statement by the Islamic cleric is a defamation of character and character assassination of the persons involved. People who are leaders should be mindful of their utterances in public so as not to cause disaffection among Nigerians which might lead to a breakdown of law and order.
“A leader and elder should exhibit wisdom and maturity in words and character at all times. The statement by the Islamic cleric falsely accusing these great leaders is not befitting of a man of his standing.
“It is quite unfortunate that such unfounded and hasty conclusion is coming from a man who should know better about the dynamics of governance and the people he mentioned are men of proven track record of integrity, diligence, due process, detribalised, professionalism and good administrative acumen that will not allow themselves to be involved in any form of religious or ethnic profiling.
“Though we do not speak for any political party, the accusation by the Muslim cleric suggests clear political profiling. All the governors he mentioned in his statement are all Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governors who have performed very well in their various states. This is politics at work here.
“The entire attack on these dynamic governors is purely an attempt to drag their hard-earned reputation to the mud and at the same time score cheap political points.
“If Ishaq was speaking out of patriotism and love for his country, he should have also named some governors who are Christian haters taking into cognizance that Nigeria has two major religions and other religions as well. But he decided to be lopsided in his assessment of religious haters.
“We challenge Professor Ishaq Akintola to publish the names of Christians appointed by governors who are Muslims in their various states, let’s see who the real haters are.
“We call on the governors of Rivers, Oyo, Benue and Taraba States to disregard the poor sense of judgement of the Islamic cleric who wants to generalise a private matter as a public matter.”

Topics
Politics