Numan crisis: Muslim Students criticize FG’s “double standard”, appeals to El-Rufai over sack of teachers

THE Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN) has expressed strong disapproval of what it described “double standard” role played by the Federal Government in handling the recent crises and aftermath of the crises in Numan, Adamawa state.

MSSN National Amir, Muhammad Jameel Muhammad strongly condemned the role of Nigerian government in his speech at the opening ceremony of the 104th Islamic Vocation Course (IVC) of B zone of MSSN held at IVC Permanent Camp, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State on Monday.

Muhammad said it was unfortunate that many Nigerians lost their lives during the two unfortunate incidents in Numan, declaring that the way the Federal Government was handling the crises and its aftermath was to say the least, a double standard.

Also, he expressed worried that governments at both state and federal levels do not resolve contending issues amicably with relevant stakeholders.

He stressed that the way and manner issues ranging from recurrent strikes by academic or non-academic staff of higher institutions to sudden radical frustration and dismissal of teachers at the secondary and primary levels are handled coupled with insensitivity with which the education sector in the country is handled is alarming, worrisome and demoralizing to the MSSN as a body.

Muhammad further remarked that the purpose of the IVC which is a tradition was to allow Muslims thinkers, intellectuals, scholars and indeed stakeholders from diverse walks of life to robustly and rigorously train the younger and up-coming members on the pristine Islam in the context of certain pertinent and burning national, regional and global issues, with a view to producing outstanding Muslim fortified with the wire withal to withstand the ever increasing, ubiquitous challenges of the present time.

“First, the way and manner in which the federal government is handling the crises and its aftermath in Numan, Adamawa state, is, to say the least, a double standard.Here is a place in which lives of Nigerians were gruesomely lost at two unfortunate incidents.

“But while the first set of victims were never recognised and may possibly never be at all, the second set of victims attracted the visit of the whole Vice President of the country and a series aids thereafter.

“This has painted a picture that some animals are more equal than others, as contained in George Owell’s fable, The Animal Farm”, Muhammad statement reads.

He then noted that one of the dangers of such double standard or favoritism is that it pitches Nigerians against themselves on the account that some are favoured while some are disfavored.

He said, ” the danger here is that Nigerians are being pitched against fellow Nigerians on account of being favoured/disfavored by the same government voted by and tasked with taking care of both.

“As students, our constituency resides within the educational sector. We are always worried that our governments at both state and federal levels do not resolve contending issues amicably with relevant stakeholders.

“Ranging from recurrent strikes by academic or non-academic staff of higher institutions to sudden radical frustration/dismissal of teachers at the secondary and primary levels, the insensitivity with which the education sector in our country is handled is alarming, worrisome and demoralizing to us as students.

“In all such cases, the schools that are the only symbol of governmental presence in most localities become abandoned by teachers, making us, students, more vulnerable before the myriad of forces of evil that have pervaded the land.

“We therefore call on all governments to handle the educational sector with the delicacy and seriousness it deserves. This programme, as is traditional, gathers our thinkers, intellectuals, scholars and indeed stakeholders from diverse walks of life to robustly and rigorously train our younger and upcoming members on the pristine Islam in the context of certain pertinent and burning national, regional and global issues, with a view to producing outstanding Muslim fortified with the wire withal to withstand the every increasing, ubiquitous challenges of the present time”.

Muhammad on behalf of MSSN then appealed to Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State to tread more cautious in his plan to sack over twenty thousand teachers in the state.

He said “Specifically, we identify with the appeal to the government of Kaduna state that is planning the mass sack of over twenty-one thousand teachers to tread a more cautious path in this trying time as it takes its monumental decisions.

“We appeal further that all pertinent stakeholders policy makers, educational administrators, supervisors, teachers, students and even their parents should be repositioned and for good if the decay in education is to be adequately addressed.

“At this national gathering of delegates from the nooks and crannies of the country, it is pertinent to reiterate the need for all of us to contribute to the long-overdue project of building our National Secretariat in Abuja, the FCT.

“This dream and pride of every Nigerian Muslim student needs at least a hundred naira from each one of us as a patriotic member of the MSSN. So far, of the four hundred million naira estimated, only about six million has been realized. But we are optimistic that Allah will help us achieve this laudable dream.

“Respected personalities here present, my tenacious brothers and sisters in the quest for justice, permit me to emotionally but objectively appeal for justice.

Muhammad while commending House of Representatives in responding to the case of Firdaus Amas, a female law graduate denied to be call to bar recently, insisted that anyone found culpable should be brought to the book.

He said “Our second appeal relates to the brazen display of lawlessness by the trio of the Nigerian Law School, the Body of Benchers and the Council of Legal Education.

“In a monumental display of impunity, in broad daylight and at the critical occasion of calling a new set of lawyers to the Nigerian bar, the trio denied our sister, Firdausi Aljannah Amasa, the last leg of her passionate dream of being a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court, the dream she tenaciously toiled for over two decades.

“Her only crime was that she was, and still is, alhamdulillah, a practicing Muslim. We already have written a heavily worded letter to Mr President and copied relevant holders of stake on the matter.

“As we demand an expeditious investigation of the matter, calling Firdausi to bar, bringing to book all persons or groups found culpable in the unconstitutional act and a formal public apology to all that relates to Firdausi in any way, we urge all our members to continue to be law-abiding pending the response of stakeholders and our subsequent communications.

“We must mention here, the commendable and responsive effort of the House of Representatives on the matter and earnestly await the report of the House committee saddled with that.

“At the international scene, we join the rest of the world in condemning the international bully, the USA, and her partner in crime, Israel, for the unjust, unpopular and provocative decision to turn Jerusalem to the capital city of the illegally imposed state of Israel. It is inescapably necessary to, at this juncture, commend the consciences driven countries that voted overwhelmingly for the United Nation’s declaration of the move as illegal and the maintenance of status quo. We want to also educate the US, Israel, their covert and overt supporters that injustice due to might or whatever reason is only transient. They better tread the path of honour by reconsidering such unhealthy stands.

“Still internationally, brothers and sisters, we are ceaselessly sad that the genocide in Myanmar is continuing unabatedly simply because the victims are the Muslims. The media that should be the conscience of the society has abandoned its duty by being silent on the heinous crime against humanity. No one hears about the plight of the endangered people of Myanmar. The declaration by the UN that they should be given their due rights, important and laudable as it is, should be matched with actions. The culprits should not be stopped but also they should be adequately sanctioned.

“Before this speech is concluded, let me cease this opportunity to say my final salam to you as the National Amir at a National IVC.

“By next year, precisely in May, 2018, my set of EXCO and I will leave office. I therefore must not fail to acknowledge that the little achievements I had were due to your unflinching support.

“Though this is not my valedictory speech, I must appeal to you to pardon me for my wrongs in my capacity as a national officer on behalf my executive council with whom we piloted the affairs of this complex organization in this complex country for three years.