NACOMYO charges Lagos govt on religion, loan facility

THE National Council of Muslim Youth Organisations (NACOMYO) has charged the Lagos State government to ensure respect of fundamental rights of the citizens, including their right to receive religious instructions.

Addressing a press conference in Lagos, the NACOMYO coordinator for Lagos State, Mr Abd’Fattah Olanrewaj Muheeb, urged the state government under the leadership of Mr Akinwunmi Ambode to continue making life meaningful to the people through provision of basic amenities, observance of rule of law and respect for fundamental human rights to propagate one’s religion or belief.

X-raying the achievements of the state in the last 50 years and in particular the last two years of Ambode’s administration, NACOMYO noted that a lot of progress had been made in the areas of infrastructure, security and welfare.

The group, however, lamented the inability of Muslims to benefit from the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) as the loan attracts five per cent interest, which negates the tenets of Islam.

It, therefore, charged the government to modify the conditions for obtaining the loan in order to ensure that Muslims have equal access in the interest of justice.

“It is common knowledge that Islam abhors the collection of interest on loan. We therefore condemn the five per cent interest being charged by the Lagos State government. If Muslims in the state are to be genuinely accorded the constitutional right to freedom of worship, the interest on the LSETF is unacceptable because it is discriminatory and un-Islamic, to say the least”, NACOMYO added.

The group also condemned the kidnapping of six students of Lagos State Model College, Igbonla, Epe and appealed to the abductors to ensure the release of the students without any harm.