16th February, 2024
PRESS RELEASE:
BAD TIMES: NOT NIGERIA ALONE – MURIC
As the
Nigerian economy continues to nosedive and pressure mounts, a faith-based
non-governmental organization (NGO), the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has
advised Nigerians not to destroy their own country over the current bad times.
The group said great democracies like Britain, France, Canada and America are
facing worse economic decline. It therefore advised Nigerians to exercise
patience and caution.
This
was contained in a press statement issued on Friday, 16th February, 2024 by the
Executive Director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
The
full statement reads:
"Reports came yesterday that the economy of the United
Kingdom has entered recession (https://www.thecable.ng/just-
“Something
must be terribly wrong with the world’s economy if great democracies like
Britain, France, Canada and America are facing worse economic decline. Nigerians in diaspora have been complaining of
tough times and it all began with the COVID-19 lockdown when the world’s
economy was totally shut down. Things have not been the same since then.
"Nigerians have two major lessons to learn from this
ugly developments. Firstly, Nigeria is merely suffering from the bandwagon
effect of a distraught global economy. We are not an island. What is happening
to the naira and the skyrocketing prices is not isolated. Neither can we blame
our leaders for it. It is a natural concomitant of events in a global village.
We can only blame globalisation for it.
"Secondly, although there are reports of recession in
those countries, their citizens have not resorted to violence. Public
properties are not being attacked. Neither are there threats by their military
to stage coups because they are sensible enough to know that the military are
not trained for politics or management of battered economies.
"The
threat of a military coup allegedly issued by the former head of state, General
Ibrahim Babangida is therefore in bad taste and it is most unfortunate. We
advise Nigerians to ignore him if indeed the report is true.
The
military's past incursion into politics brought Nigeria to where it is today.
Characterized by lack of probity, total absence of accountability, disrespect
for the rule of law, dehumanisation of the citizenry, tyranny, totalitarian
dictatorship, etc, military rule is a hydra-headed monster which Nigerians must
avoid at all cost.
"The
worst civilian rulers are better than the best military rulers. You can change
a civilian president at the polls but you are permanently at the mercy of a
military ruler. Military rule has no timeline whereas a civilian ruler has
just four years to prove his mettle or be changed at the polls.
"We therefore urge Nigerians to shun all undemocratic
attempts at changing the system. We are aware of incitements to demonstrations
and some have actually taken place. We admit that demonstrations are our right
to express grievances but we must be wary of hijackers whose evil plans are
more luciferous than that of the authors of #EndSARS.
"Nigerians
must not listen to those who incite them to destroy public property. Only
sadists can look at the hundreds of brand new luxurious buses of the Lagos
State Government which were all burnt down and feel a sense of achievement.
Those buses were about to be launched for use as public transport by the
citizens. We must never allow such madness again.
"In
keeping with the avowed motto of MURIC which is 'Dialogue, No Violence', we
urge Nigerians to engage their leaders at the local, state and federal levels
for ways and means of rubber-cushioning the effect of this economic downturn. We
call on workers' unions to jaw-jaw with employees of labour without playing to
the gallery."
#NotNigeriaAlone
#NoToMilitaryIntervention
#AvoidViolentDemonstrations
Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Executive Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).
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