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Build a Mosque for Palace Imam, MURIC tells Soun of Ogbomoso

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Executive Director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola

Build a mosque for Palace Imam, MURIC tells Soun of Ogbomoso

An Islamic human rights organization, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has asked the Soun of Ogbomosho, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye, to build a befitting mosque in the palace for a new Imam he recently installed to function.
Recall that the 28th Soun of Ogbomoso appointed Habib Ayilara as ‘Chief Imam’ for his palace on Friday September 30, 2024, which became controversial.
MURIC in a statement on Wednesday argued that the palace Imam would remain idle for a long time if there is no sign of a mosque within the palace.

The statement was issued by the Executive Director of the organization, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
The statement read, “The last may not have been heard from us on the controversial appointment of a ‘chief Imam’ of the palace made by the traditional ruler of Ogbomoso, Oba Ghandi Olaoye. It will be recalled that the king appointed Habib Ayilara as the palace Imam on Friday, 30th September, 2024.
“But feelers reaching our headquarters indicate that there may be no mosque within the palace. It is either there is no mosque capable of holding a Friday congregation for Jumu’ah prayer or there is no mosque at all inside the palace. If this is true, on what basis has the Soun appointed a ‘palace Imam’? How can a whole king appoint a palace Imam without a mosque? How logical is it for a man who has no garden at all to employ a gardener?

“Nullity upon nullity is nullity. It is a settled law that anything based on nothing is a nullity and has no legal validity. Also, it can confer no right or impose any obligation on anybody. If this is so, the office of palace Imam may end up a nullity, a sham, a pipe dream.

“But we want to save the Soun from this apparent cul de sac. The way out, his saving grace, is to build a mosque within the palace, not a small one but a gigantic edifice befitting the status of his revered throne. That is the agenda we want to give His Majesty because the question on the lips of many people is: can there be a palace chief Imam where there is no befitting palace mosque?

“Soun is on a mission to bastardize Islam and that is the cassu belli for all his intrusions into Islamdom. He wants to break the ranks of the Muslims in the land. He is being ably aided and abetted by the governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde whose main mission is to fill all the traditional stools in the state with Christians. That is the only reason he has delayed the installation of the Muslim candidate chosen by the rightful kingmakers of Oyo for the Alaafin stool.

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“Many are wondering if the Soun will queue behind the newly appointed palace Imam. Will a pastor king pray behind an Imam? Is this pastor converting to Islam? That is where the intrigue becomes very clear. It is sheer hocus-pocus.

“Again, the uninitiated ask why did the monarch pick his palace Imam from the same family that the embattled chief Imam came from? Besides, why did he pick the same Islamic scholar who contested the position of Chief Imam with the current Chief Imam, Talhat Yunus Ayilara?

“Is the king planning a nomenclatural abracadabra? Otherwise how can one explain Chief Imam Ayilara in the Central mosque and another ‘Chief Imam’ Ayilara in the ‘yet-to-be-built’(?) palace mosque? It sounds panbolanbolic. Kabiyesi is confusing Nigerians. We need clarifications.

“On the other hand, the appointment of a palace Imam by a pastor who became the Soun may be a blessing in disguise for Ogbomoso Muslims if the traditional ruler eventually erects a befitting mosque in the palace. Afterall there can be no palace Imam without a palace mosque. It seems the palace Imam will remain idle for a long time if there is no sign of a mosque within the palace.

“We may be wrong, of course. There may be a palace mosque in place already, perhaps in some underground or another hidden place within the palace. All we need is to be directed to the location within the mosque. We are itching to pray there behind the palace Imam, Habib Ayilara. He is not our enemy. He is our Muslim brother. We can pray behind him. Just show us his mosque within the palace.

“Therefore, all we are saying is Wanted: palace Mosque for palace Imam. Go ahead, Your Majesty, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye, Orumogege III, the employer, appointer and turbanner of Imams. We shake, shiver and tremble before your throne. Just give us a befitting palace mosque to legitimise your palace Imam misadventure.”

#Ogbomoso
#WantedPalaceMosque

Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Founder/Executive Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).

Build a Mosque for Palace Imam, MURIC tells Soun of Ogbomoso

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Tinubu extremely wealthy, can’t loot Nigeria’s treasury, says minister

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Tinubu extremely wealthy, can’t loot Nigeria’s treasury, says minister

The Minister of State for Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, has described President Bola Tinubu as an epitome of wealth with no interest to loot Nigeria’s resources.

Olawande stated this while speaking at the Joint Union Negotiating Council’s week of the Federal Ministry of Youth Development branch in Abuja.

The minister also appealed to Nigerians to be patient with the president, noting that in no distant time there will be positive changes.

He said, “I urge you to be patient with this administration. In no distant time, the country will take good shape and the lives of the citizens will be transformed.

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“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not a pauper; he is an acknowledged epitome of wealth and so it cannot be said of him that he desires to loot the treasury of Nigeria.”

Olawande continued, “He has seen money and as a result of this, he is not interested in looting the nation’s treasury.”

He emphasized that the administration is putting in efforts to transform the lives of Nigerians through various policies of the federal government.

Olawande thanked the staff of the ministry for being supportive of the government policies and assured them that their welfare will not be compromised.

Tinubu extremely wealthy, can’t loot Nigeria’s treasury, says minister

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BREAKING: Nigeria’s inflation rate slows for second consecutive month to 32.15% – NBS

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BREAKING: Nigeria’s inflation rate slows for second consecutive month to 32.15% – NBS

Nigeria’s headline inflation rate eased to 32.15% in August 2024 down from the 33.40% recorded in July 2024, reflecting a decrease of 1.25 percentage points.

This represents the second consecutive monthly slowdown in inflation after easing in the previous month.

This is according to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) report published by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

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However, on a year-on-year basis, the August 2024 inflation rate was 6.35 percentage points higher than the 25.80% rate recorded in August 2023, indicating a significant increase over the past year.

On a month-on-month basis, the inflation rate in August 2024 stood at 2.22%, slightly lower than July’s rate of 2.28%, signaling a slower pace in the increase of the average price level compared to the previous month.

BREAKING: Nigeria’s inflation rate slows for second consecutive month to 32.15% – NBS

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Edo poll: Six persons arrested in Benin hotel with fake PDP letterheads, forged signatures

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Edo poll: Six persons arrested in Benin hotel with fake PDP letterheads, forged signatures

Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force have arrested six young men in a hotel located in the Government Reserved Area (GRA) of Benin City with fake letterheads, stamps, and forged signatures belonging to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its chieftains.

The young men, who were apprehended with incriminating materials such as printers, mobile phones, power banks, laptops, and a photocopy machine, are believed to have been involved in drafting and circulating fake PDP letters and statements.

Their objective was to paint the PDP as instigators of unrest ahead of the forthcoming Edo governorship election, scheduled for Saturday, September 21, 2024.

The arrest, which was made following a tip-off, uncovered an elaborate scheme allegedly designed to discredit the PDP and its leaders by sending fabricated documents to unsuspecting journalists.

These fake letters and statements, according to police sources, were intended to portray the party as warmongers and troublemakers in the run-up to the critical election.

A police officer involved in the operation, who asked to remain anonymous, revealed that the suspects had been using the hotel as their base of operations for weeks.

“We found that these individuals were using forged PDP letterheads, stamps, and signatures to create fake documents.

“Their goal was to send out these documents to journalists in an attempt to misrepresent the PDP and create an atmosphere of tension ahead of the elections,” the officer said.

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In addition to the counterfeit materials, the police discovered that the young men had several technological devices, including laptops and printers, which they used to produce and disseminate the fraudulent documents.

“Their setup was sophisticated. They had everything they needed to make the documents appear legitimate, from forged letterheads to printers.

“We also found power banks, mobile phones, and a photocopy machine, which they used to mass-produce the fake letters,” the officer added.

Further investigation has revealed that the six young men were funded by a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

Meanwhile, another police source disclosed that the Nigeria Police Force, Edo State Command, has come under intense pressure from senior APC figures, who are reportedly pushing for the release of the arrested men.

“Since the arrest, there has been immense pressure on us from certain chieftains within the APC, urging the command to release these individuals.

“We believe that their involvement with these young men is being covered up, and they are worried about the potential fallout from this arrest,” the source noted.

A journalist with one of the prominent national newspapers, who had been unknowingly receiving fake statements from the group, expressed shock upon hearing about the arrests.

“It’s alarming to think that we’ve been receiving statements from people who were impersonating the PDP. This shows how low some people will go to try and sabotage the other party. The integrity of this election is now under serious question,” the journalist stated.

The Edo State Police Command has yet to issue an official statement on the matter, but sources within the command say investigations are ongoing, and the suspects remain in custody.

Edo poll: Six persons arrested in Benin hotel with fake PDP letterheads, forged signatures

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