* Says it’s ill-wind that will blow no one any good
The Island Muslim Community (IMC) has called on the organisers of the proposed nationwide protest to jettison the idea, saying the exercise is an ill-wind that will blow no one any good.
The group made the call in a statement signed by the Chairman Board of Trustees (BoT), Alhaji Rafiu Ebiti and Vice-Chairman, BoT, Alhaji Tijani Borodo on Monday, in Lagos.
IMC is an umbrella body for all Muslim individuals, organisations, communities, businesses and institutions on the Lagos Island including Lekki, Ikoyi, Victoria Island, and Ajah among many others.
The Muslim community said it recognises the harsh economic conditions in the nation where Nigerians have been pushed to near extreme poverty with many more threatened to be pushed below the poverty line.
The group also recognises the democratic rights of citizens to protest against real and perceived grievances.
However, it calls for caution from all the parties involved in the planned protest to explore other avenues through which the grievances could be communicated to the Government without the attendant risks that going to the streets carries.
The Island Muslim Community (IMC) applauded the steps taken by the Federal Government to engage in dialogue with all stakeholders in the country, imploring all associations and bodies who might be privileged to have close affinity with the organisers of the protest to use their leverage to prevail upon them to shelve the protest as the signs around it have set the country on edge even as it is yet to take place.
“We urge the organisers of the protest, in the light of the tensions already in the land to put the safety and security of the nation first and foremost, as we need to have a nation first before we could express our grievances.
“We appeal to all political actors and entities to demonstrate utmost sense of responsibility and patriotism by refraining from utterances and actions that may predispose the nation to anarchy”, the IMC noted.
Alhaji Ebiti said Islam detests the spread of violence, wanton destruction, and needless loss of lives, quoting Q 5:32 where Allah equates the unjust killing of a single soul to killing the entire humanity.
“We advise that since the organizers of the protest do not possess the means to ensure the absence of violence and possible loss of lives, they should postpone the planned protest and enter into dialogue with the Government.
“We pray that Allah guides the leadership of the nation, grants patience and wisdom to the aggrieved, blesses the endeavours of our Government with success, and removes from our land the hardship it currently faces,” the statement ended.
