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Steer clear of Imam Office, MURIC tells Soun

Published

10 months ago

February 19, 2024

Professor Ishaq Akintola

Steer clear of Imam Office, MURIC tells Soun

An Islamic human rights organization, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has warned the newly crowned Soun of Ogbomosho, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye, to steer clear of the office of the Chief Imam of the city in the interest of peace and tranquility. MURIC alleged that Muslims in the city have accused the Soun of making subterranean moves to replace the Chief Imam with his own favourite candidate.

The warning was handed down on Monday, 19th February, 2024 in a press statement issued by the Executive Director of the faith-based non-governmental organization, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

“Muslims of Ogbomosho have reported that the new Soun, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye, is already making surreptitious moves to remove the Chief Imam of Ogbomosho. He plans to replace him with a palace puppet. Already, there is palpable tension in the city of Ogbomosho due to this ugly development.

“We like to remind the Soun that first and foremost, as a Christian, he cannot pick an Imam for Muslims. Apart from being a Christian, kings have no business in the choice of Imams. It is the prerogative of Islamic scholars in that city. The king’s duty is to cooperate with any Imam chosen by the Muslims of any city in maintaining peace and tranquility. Therefore, it is wrong for the Soun to poke his nose into the affairs of Muslims.

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“Besides, the king will be acting ultra vires if he attempts to replace the Chief Imam. Nothing in the laws of Oyo State, or any state in the South West for that matter, empowers the Oba to remove or replace an Imam. Any such attempt will be illegal, illegitimate, unlawful and unconstitutional. The days of l’etat cest moi a la Louis XIV are over. We are in a democracy, Yoruba Muslims will not pander to royal excesses.

“We hereby repeat inter alia our press statement of 8th January, 2024 captioned ‘Stop Influence of Kings on Yoruba Imams – MURIC’ (https:muslimrightsmuric.blogspot.com/2024/01 stop-influence-of-kings-on-yoruba-imams.html?m=1; https://theeagleonline.com.ng/stop-influence-of-kings-on-yoruba-imams-muric/; https://theglittersonline.com.ng/akintola-13/; https://muslimnews.com.ng/2024/01/09/stop-influence-of-kings-on-yoruba-imams-muric-says-practice-traceable-to-some-imamate-tussle-in-southwest/).

“We have seen this in many Yoruba cities particularly whenever an Imam dies and a new one is about to be appointed. The kings often influence the choice of the new Imam particularly where the post is competitive. It is also the king who gives the Imam the staff of office.

“This is an erroneous, archaic and obnoxious practice because the king has no role whatsoever to play in the imamate under the Shari’ah, particularly where Islam is not used as the form of government (a non-Islamic State). This is different from what applies in an Islamic state where Islamic political thought is the state policy and the khalifah is equally the Imam.

“The greatest danger in this is that the Oba (king) may impose a Muslim favourite who has no appropriate prerequisites for the post of Imam on the Muslims. This has dire consequences. Already, some crisis brewing in some towns in Yorubaland can be traced to this ugly phenomenon.

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“It is even worse where the king is not a Muslim. A Christian or traditionalist as king dictating to the Imam or influencing decisions and steps to be taken by Muslims is a complete anomaly in Islam. It is absurd, illogical, irrational and therefore unacceptable. Many mosques have been ordered closed by non-Muslim kings using the most trivial and ridiculous pretext.

“We will use every legitimate means at our disposal to stop this crude, divisive and selfish attempt to erode the freedom of Yoruba Muslims to choose their own leaders. It is sheer monachical autocracy characteristic of the ancient practice of African traditional rulers who sold their subjects to European slave masters for ordinary mirrors. The question is for how much is the Soun selling the Muslims of Ogbomosho to fishers of men?

“We will not stand akimbo while the Soun reenacts this inhuman and sadistic practice of the imperialists. We therefore call on the Soun of Ogbomosho to leave the Chief Imam alone. Any further pursuit of this diabolical mission will be regarded as a declaration of confrontation with the Ogbomosho Muslim community. A word is enough for the wise.

Meanwhile we appeal to the Ogbomosho Muslim community, particularly the already agitated Muslim youths to remain calm and law abiding.”

#ObaGhandi

#LeaveChiefImamAlone

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Executive Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).

Steer clear of Imam Office, MURIC tells Soun

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Rivers: You’ve reduced yourself to a ridiculous level, Wike fires back at Odili

Published

30 minutes ago

December 29, 2024

Trends Admin

Former Governor of Rivers State, Dr Peter Odili and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory FCT, Nyesom Wike

Rivers: You’ve reduced yourself to a ridiculous level, Wike fires back at Odili

Lere Olayinka, the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory FCT, Nyesom Wike has knocked a former Governor of Rivers State, Dr Peter Odili over a recent remark against his principal.

News Direct reports that Odili had during a Christmas ballad organized by himself in honour of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his family, said that the incumbent Governor courageously stopped Wike from making Rivers State his private estate.

According to Odili, Fubara summoned an unusual fortitude to confront the quest by the FCT Minister to capture the state through ferocious but unnecessary political war.

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Reacting, Olayinka in a post on his official X handle, described Odili’s comment as disappointing, stating that the former governor, who is expected to act as an elder statesman, has reduced himself to a ridiculous level.

Olayinka said in the coming days, Odili would get a deserved response from the FCT Minister.

“I Read the comments made by the former Governor of Rivers State, Peter Odili on the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, today, and I can’t but be disappointed that someone who should be acting like an elder statesman can reduce himself to such ridiculous level of partisanship.

“Well, he will get his deserved response from the FCT Minister in due course”, Olayinka wrote.

Rivers: You’ve reduced yourself to a ridiculous level, Wike fires back at Odili

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Lagos govt insists nightclubs, worship centres must obtain permit for amplified sound

Published

6 hours ago

December 29, 2024

Trends Admin

Honourable Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab

Lagos govt insists nightclubs, worship centres must obtain permit for amplified sound

The Lagos State Government has rolled out stricter measures to combat noise pollution, requiring nightclubs, lounges, bars, and worship centres to obtain permits for events involving amplified sound.

The measure, it said, aimed to safeguard the health and well-being of Lagosians during the festive season and beyond.

Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, announced this via his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Saturday, emphasizing the government’s zero-tolerance stance on noise pollution.

Wahab highlighted that events with amplified sound must be conducted in soundproofed, enclosed spaces to protect residents from the harmful effects of excessive noise.

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“Establishments such as worship centers, nightclubs, lounges, and bars must now obtain permits for events involving amplified sound and ensure these activities take place in soundproofed, enclosed spaces to protect neighboring residents,” the statement read in part.

To enforce these directives, the government said it had established a Special Task Force on Noise Pollution under the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA).

This task force, in collaboration with the Lagos State Neighborhood Safety Corps (LSNSC) and the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), would oversee compliance, arrest offenders, and prosecute violators of noise regulations, it stated.

The statement further noted that starting January 2025, the government would roll out a public awareness campaign to educate Lagosians on acceptable noise levels and the benefits of a quieter environment.

Lagos govt insists nightclubs, worship centres must obtain permit for amplified sound

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Alleged missing N180m: It’s a prank, Singer Dammy Krane says

Published

6 hours ago

December 29, 2024

Trends Admin

Martins Vincent Otse, widely known as Verydarkman

Alleged missing N180m: It’s a prank, Singer Dammy Krane says

Singer, Dammy Krane has stated that social critic, Very Dark Man, is joking with claims that N180 million was diverted from the NGO account he created in October this year.

VDM shocked Nigerians on Friday, December 27 when he released a video claiming hackers had breached his NGO website and moved N180m leaving only N20 million.

The news shocked many Nigerians who took to social media to slam him.

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However, in a post shared on his Instagram page this evening, Dammy Krane claimed that VDM is renovating a school in Jos, and was only joking with the story of stolen funds.

Also, a Human Rights activist, Omotayo Williams, claimed the man VDM showed in his video as an officer accompanying him to Jos is a well-known member of the Kogi State Taxi Taskforce.