The Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, has added its voice to the raging land controversy between the Islamic group, Ahmadiyyah Muslims and former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose.
Ahmadiyyah Muslims had staged a massive protest in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, penultimate Saturday against Fayose.
The group, under the leadership of Bashiru Alawode, accused the former Governor of forcefully acquiring its land to build a petrol station for his son.
According to the group, an Ahmadiyyah mosque was built on the land since the early 40’s but they decided to demolish it recently because it was built with old moulded blocks.
The group maintained that the intention was to put up a modern mosque to replace the old one but Fayose allegedly seized the land and started building a petrol station there.
MURIC, in its reaction, described Fayose’s action as tyrannical, totalitarian and immoral.
This was contained in a statement made available to DAILY POST on Tuesday and signed by MURIC’s director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
The rights group said, “Fayose’s action is shameful. He is a political misnomer and an unmitigated disaster. He has proved beyond reasonable doubt that he is an oppressor without borders.
“How can a whole sitting governor confiscate a piece of land belonging to the Muslim community for personal use? This is oppression of the highest order. Fayose is a selfish demagogue, a political charlatan and a skullduggery primus inter pareil.
“This is a man who pretended that he was a friend of the Ekiti masses. He rode okada in public. He ate roasted corn by the roadside all in an effort to deceive the people that he belonged to the hoi polloi. But the wind has blown now and we have seen the ruff of the hen. Fayose is a shenanigan nulli secundus. Napoleon Bonaparte was right when he said ‘Men are led by toys.’
“Fayose must return Muslim land. Any land on which a mosque is built is Allah’s land. Seizing that land was audacious in the first place and by that action the former governor has only confirmed that he has no fear of God. This man needs to repent or he will face Allah’s wrath.
“He has also proved his pathological hatred for Muslims by commandeering their piece of land. We have always said that Fayose is a Muslim hater. Are we not vindicated now? Why should he seize mosque land of all the landed properties in Ekiti State? Why Muslim land? The same Fayose went on a demolition spree of mosques in the state when he was governor. The same Fayose refused to give Muslims in the state any political appointment. He was widely known for his extremely lopsided political appointments: an all-Christian cabinet and all-Christian board members and chairmen. It was impunity ad infinitum. Fayose has left a pitiable legacy of endogamy.
“Muslims in Ekiti State must realize that rights are never given on a platter of gold. You struggle for it. Dare to struggle, dare to win. There is no gain without pain. No people ever overcome their downpressors without struggle. American blacks went through that experience. South Africans regained their land through struggle.
“The travails and eventual victory of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), Martin Luther King Jnr, Nelson Mandela, Haile Selassie, Thomas Sankara, Patrice Lumumba, Agostinho Neto, Samora Machel and other icons of civil liberty, black struggle and African revolution bear eloquent testimonies to this assertion. Ekiti Muslims must therefore rise as one to give Fayose sleepless nights. The demonstration which started last week must not stop although it must always be peaceful.
“Muslims must visit Fayose’s private residence in Ado Ekiti with placards on a regular basis particularly on Fridays. They must march on Fayose’s house straight from the Jum’ah prayer on Fridays. Taunt Fayose with Bandiri drums. Let Alasalatu women surround his house chanting Islamic ditties (waka). Occupy his street until he surrenders the land. They must repeat the same thing every Salah day as they return from Id al-Fitr and Id al-Kabiir prayers. Like Macbeth, Fayose has murdered sleep. He shall sleep no more. Our people say ‘he who steals a poor man’s chicken has offended the most garrulous story-teller’.”
MURIC appealed to the current Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, to intervene in the matter.
“The current governor is a gentleman to the core. We are appealing to him for redress and we hope he will placate Ekiti Muslims, not only on the matter of Ahmadiyyah land seized by the tyrant but also on the issue of political appointments,” the Muslim group said.
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