Muslim leaders stress importance of Nigeria’s unity

SOME Muslim leaders have emphasised the need for Nigeria to remain united as the country attains 62 years as a sovereign nation.

They spoke at a webinar tagged ‘Nigeria Day’ organised by the Forum of Nigerian Muslims Home and Abroad to commemorate the 62nd independence anniversary of the country.

The chairman of the Board of Trustees of the forum who doubled as the chairman on the occasion, Professor Dawud Noibi, said in the interest of the founding fathers, the unity of the country should be seen as sacrosanct while its diversity should be regarded as strength.

Others who spoke at the event are a United Kingdom-based Islamic scholar, Dr Imran Alawiye; Founder, Dawah and Guidance Bureau of Nigeria, Sheikh Haroun Ogbonnia-Ajah; the chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Dr Abike Dabiri-Erewa; former permanent delegation of the African Union (AU) to the United Nations (UN), Ambassador Usman Sarki; and General Coordinator, Forum of Nigerian Muslims, Home and Abroad, Sheikh Muhammad-Jamiu AbdulGafar.

A former president of the Council of Nigerian Muslim Organisations (CNMO), UK, Sheikh Garuba Sanni; a Chief Imam in New Zealand, Sheikh AbdLateef Alabi; Dr Idris Agbabiaka from Saudi- Arabia and the forum coordinators for Europe, North America and Africa, Alhaji Mahroof Adeoye, Alhaji AbdulHafeedh Muhammad and Dr Shamsudeen Bolatito also spoke at the event.

Noibi said: “As Nigerians, it is our duty to give thanks to Allah for enabling us to win our independence without bloodshed. We all know that many other nations won political freedom only after long-drawn wars and bloodshed.

“Therefore, all citizens of this great country of ours – including ourselves, the Muslims – must give thanks to Allah and contribute as much as we can to the unity, peaceful coexistence and progress in the country.

“This is even more so now that campaign by politicians has commenced ahead of the 2023 general election. May Allah guide the efforts of our politicians and enable us to have free, fair and credible elections.

“While cooperating appropriately with other Nigerians in fostering national unity, peaceful coexistence and progress, Nigerian Muslims also owe the binding duty of fostering unity among them.”

Professor Noibi, who is also the immediate past Executive Secretary of the Muslim Ummah of Southwest Nigeria (MUSWEN), decried the call for Yoruba nation, saying the call for secession is dangerous and would be counterproductive.

He said: “Those in the South West in particular must beware of the evils in the agitation of those who want to carve Yorubaland out of Nigeria. We must all see this move as fraught with danger.”

“Firstly, the move is based on ethnic egotism and arrogance towards other ethnic nationalities in the country. And that challenges Allah’s injunctions in Qur’an 49:11 where He prohibits the practice of some people deriding others on the grounds of ethnicity, for example.

“Allah in His wisdom created human beings in races and tribes but warns that no race or tribe should deride others, as the only mark of distinction in His sight is God-consciousness. Our country is made up of hundreds of ethnic groups as Allah so willed. It is therefore in the interest of all that we regard our diversity as strength and not weakness.”

In a keynote address, a United Kingdom-based Islamic scholar, Dr Imran Alawiye, also emphasised unity, saying anything contrary is against the injunction of Allah.

He said the challenges being faced by Nigerians were as a result of bad leadership, noting that leaders must be ready to account for their deeds in the sight of Allah.

“Leadership has qualifications. The major qualification is to be a servant-leader. A leader must know that the position he is holding is a trust and he will give the account of his stewardship to Allah on the Day of Judgment,” Alawiye said.

The Founder, Dawah and Guidance Bureau of Nigeria, Sheikh Haroun Ogbonnia-Ajah, also advocated the continued existence of Nigeria as an entity but lamented the plights of the Muslim minorities in the south-south and the south-east of the country.

“The unity of the Ummah at this moment is so paramount to advance the course of Islam in the Nigeria project, promote Islam and protect the interests of the Muslim minorities in Nigeria,” Sheikh Ogbonnia-Ajah said.

In a goodwill message, the chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Dr Abike Dabiri-Erewa, who was represented by the Head, Media and Public Relations Unit of the commission, Alhaji AbdurRahman Balogun, commended the forum for the initiative of the programme.

Dabiri-Erewa implored the forum to be focused and operate within its aim and objectives.

She urged individuals and Islamic organisations abroad to always obey the rules of their host countries and be active participants in any Nigerian project there.

In a remark, a former permanent delegation of the African Union (AU) to the United Nations (UN), Ambassador Usman Sarki, congratulated Nigerians on the occasion of the independence anniversary and lauded the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari for its efforts to reposition the country.

Earlier, the General Coordinator, Forum of Nigerian Muslims, Home and Abroad, Sheikh Muhammad-Jamiu AbdulGafar, said the programme was put together to give Muslims in the Diaspora the opportunity to celebrate Nigeria’s independence anniversary and to rub minds on how the country could be made better.

He said the forum, which was established more than a year ago, had been able to connect Nigerian Muslims across the world with those at home view a view to uniting the Ummah.

 “Alhamdulillah, so far, we have been able to get ourselves together by adding at least a delegate from each Nigerian state. Among them are chairmen of states Muslim communities, leaders of Islamic societies, some Muslim elites and eminent Islamic scholars and some Muslim professionals with international experience.

“We also have delegates from different countries like the United States, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, China, United Arab Emirates, Canada, New Zealand, Sudan, Egypt, Malaysia and Germany. The delegates are leaders of Nigerian Muslim communities, professionals and carreer builders.”

Other speakers at the event, including a former president of the Council of Nigerian Muslim Organisations (CNMO), UK, Sheikh Garuba Sanni; a Chief Imam in New Zealand, Sheikh AbdLateef Alabi; Dr Idris Agbabiaka from Saudi- Arabia and the forum coordinators for Europe, North America and Africa, Alhaji Mahroof Adeoye, Alhaji AbdulHafeedh Muhammad and Dr Shamsudeen Bolatito, expressed optimism that with good leadership, Nigeria would be great again.