The Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN) has condemned what it called “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 (President), Muhammad Jameel Muhammad expressed this displeasure 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, who said that it was unfortunate that many Nigerians lost their lives during the two incidents in Numan, criticised the attitude of the Federal Government.
He also expressed worry that governments at both state and federal levels do not resolve contending issues amicably with relevant stakeholders.
His words: “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 of 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.
“The danger here is that Nigerians are being pitched against fellow Nigerians on account of being favoured/disfavoured by the same government voted by and tasked with taking care of both.”
On education, Muhammad said: “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 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”.
Muhammad on behalf of MSSN 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.
“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.”
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 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 anyway, 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.”
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