The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has told President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to remember that the North supported him to ameliorate the suffering of Muslims in the South. The group maintained that Tinubu’s ministerial appointments should therefore reflect some improvement in the status of Muslims in Southern Nigeria.

This was revealed in a statement issued on Sunday, 30th July, 2023 by the Executive Director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

The group said:

“Only two or three Muslims can be identified among all the ministers nominated from the South by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This is disappointing because whereas Christians from the region ganged up against him, the Muslims rallied to his support.

“The story of how a group of Muslims from the South West mobilised themselves to seek the support of the North in ensuring that a Yoruba Muslim emerged as president of Nigeria is already in the public space.

“We know you are capable but there were things you and your fellow politicians could not do. But the scholars penetrated the labyrinths of the Northern Islamic landscape to soften hardened minds. Look behind you and visualize how naira re-design and petrol politics were luciferously ‘emefiolised’ to turn the hoi polloi against you.

“Mr. President sir, this is the time for Muslims to emerge as ministers from Oyo, Ogun and Osun. Ekiti and Ondo already have Christian governors and Christian deputy governors (Christian-Christian tickets). Heaven will not fall if Muslims emerge as ministers from there. Give us at least 4 ministers from the South West.

“One or two Muslim ministers from each of the South South and South East sub-regions will not be out of planet earth. Afterall Christians are known to have emerged as ministers from core Muslim zones in the past. Our Muslim brothers from the East feel what we feel in the South West. They should also be considered. Lagos can have a Christian minister because both the president and the Speaker of the House of Representatives are from there.

“There is agony in our hearts as we reach out to you from a region that has 17 states but all 17 states are ruled by 17 Christian governors. What crime has Southern Muslims committed?”

TinubuRememberMuslims

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Executive Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).