22nd
July, 2024
PRESS
RELEASE:
WE WILL
NOT JOIN PROTEST – MURIC
The
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has declared its stand on the protest being
planned over economic hardship in the country.
In a
press statement issued on Monday, 22nd July, 2024 by its Executive Director,
Professor Ishaq Akintola, the human rights organization said it will not join
the planned protest. MURIC said Nigerians should acknowledge various efforts
being made by the Federal Government to alleviate the suffering of the masses.
It therefore advised the youth to be creative and innovative instead of being
docile, complacent and destructive.
The
full statement reads:
"We
are aware of preparations being made to protest against economic hardship in
the country. Although we have made our stand known concerning inflation and the
attendant hardship in the country, we must again reiterate the fact that rising
prices, hunger and other forms of hardship are not restricted to Nigeria.
"Other
countries around the world are facing the same predicament and they are finding
solutions to it instead of embarking on destructive protests.
"The
last #EndSARS protest was a colossal calamity as burning and looting took the
central stage. Lagos bore the brunt of the damage as more than 300 brand new
air-conditioned buses were burnt down by marauding hoodlums. It must not
be allowed to happen again.
"Protesters forgot that government has no
special property. All such properties referred to as government’s properties belong
to the general public. They are owned by the citizens whose taxes were used to
procure them. Any protest that targets properties is an exhibition of
wastefulness, foolishness and madness.
"The
trajectory of the new protest being planned has taken a similar dimension.
Lagos is being targeted like before and revenge for electoral loss appears to
be uppermost on the list of motives. No explanation has been given for making
Lagos a main target even though the city is far away from the Nigerian capital.
This gives us more than enough reason to reject the protest. It is irrational,
sectional and vengeful. Count us out of it. MURIC will not partake in this
protest.
"Those
who argue that MURIC must partake in this because we participated in the
anti-Jonathan protest forget that the protest against Jonathan was orderly,
peaceful and well coordinated. There was no burning, looting or killing. We all
stayed at the Freedom Park, Ojota, Lagos and addressed the people there. Nobody
was molested.
"That
is unlike the planners of this protest who burned and looted properties worth
billions of naira in 2020 and 2021. In particular, properties of the present
president were mercilessly destroyed in Lagos at a time when he had not even
showed any intention of contesting for election.
"MURIC
will only join hands with people who want to build Nigeria. We wash our hands
off rebellious subjects, enemies of peace. We have a duty to remain constant
with the motto of our organization which is 'Dialogue, Not Violence'. We
will not participate in burning and looting. We prefer to bring smiles on the
faces of Nigerians, not pain and anguish.
“Besides, Nigerians should acknowledge various
efforts being made by the Federal Government to alleviate the suffering of the
masses. Government has been responsive. Palliatives in form of large numbers of
trucks containing food items are being distributed regularly. Senators and members
of the House of Representatives recently cut their salaries by half. The
minimum wage of Nigerian workers have just been raised by more than 100% from
N30,000 to N70,000.
"We
therefore advise Nigerian youths not to allow anybody to deceive or use them
for their selfish ends. Our youths should be creative and innovative instead of
being docile and destructive.
“We recognize
the right of citizens to express dissent but that does not include the right to
destroy public and private properties. We advise those who wish to express
their minds to engage government in dialogue and to pick designated places for
their assembly and conduct themselves in orderly manner. We charge the security
agencies to provide adequate security for those in peaceful assemblies in such
designated places.”
#NoToViolentProtests
#LeaveLagosAlone
Professor
Ishaq Akintola,
Founder/Executive
Director,
Muslim
Rights Concern (MURIC).
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