26 July, 2014

B’Haram: The ‘Concerned Northern Muslim Professionals’ and their Letter to the Sultan

B’Haram: The ‘Concerned Northern Muslim Professionals’ and their Letter to the Sultan

26 Jul 2014
Font Size: a / A
SIR ABUBAKAR
WITH Collins Edomaruse
1905N.Alhaji-Abubakar-Saad.jpg - 1905N.Alhaji-Abubakar-Saad.jpgAcouple of weeks ago, a group of ‘Concerned Northern Muslim Professionals’ stirred the hornet’s nest with an open letter to His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar lll. The group, under the leadership of a certain Alhaji Mohammed Saidu, said in the letter that it drew its inspiration from a similar lamentation by Gen. Yakubu Gowon, on the deteriorating state of security in parts of the North.
Titled: ‘Echoing the Message of General Yakubu Gowon’, the group said, inter alia: The retired General and Elder statesman then called on the leadership of the Islamic faith in northern Nigeria to work towards stopping the Boko Haram carnage and also correct the negative ideology of the sect to the right Islamic teachings of tolerance, peace and love. He cited the Muslims in the south-west as a good example of peace and religious tolerance; to the extent of inter-marriages between Muslims and Christians in the south-west of Nigeria.”
Having been fired up by the challenge of the former Head of State, the Concerned Northern Muslim Professionals (CNMP) ran to the leader and custodian of their faith in the country, the Sultan. Theirs is akin to the story of a poor little school boy that was publicly chastised by his head teacher for his failure to cough up the term’s school fees. Battered and downcast, he packs his tattered bag and baggage and heads for home to meet his parents, sobbing and cursing the challenges that have come the way of his educational pursuit. However, unknown to him, his parents are equally dead helpless with the situation, but would nonetheless, call him, cuddle him and give him the assurances of returning him back to school after raising the fees from a planned sales of his farm produce at the next market day. The good news is that the poor boy completed his education, gainfully employed and now, he’s the bastion of the family!
Emboldened by the inspiring story of the poor school boy as enunciated above, the CNMP made for their father and rightly so for help. Read this: “This message of the former head of the Nigerian state was just a repetition of several similar calls by other prominent Nigerians across faith-divide. It is therefore becoming embarrassing to some of us that are Muslims and from the northern extract. We always ponder over what exactly do these respected Nigerians mean whenever they demand for the action of Muslim leadership to stop the carnage. As far as we know the Muslim and Islamic leadership in Nigeria comprised all the Ulamas and Emirs under the leadership of the Sultan of Sokoto; who doubles as the President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, and also the leader of the Jama’atu Nasril Islam. And as far as we know the Sultan and his team do not have weapons or control over the security personnel in Nigeria. Then, what action is required of them?
“After deep thoughts and self-scrutiny we got some hints on what additional things, apart from the traditional condemnation, the Sultan and his team ought to do or to have done; in order to save our country from the  persistent shocker of the Boko Haram. We wish to respectfully state that some visible and invisible steps, actions and structures were supposed to have been entrenched by the leadership of the Nigerian Muslims, in order to achieve the following:
* A visible action towards stopping the spread of the radical ideologies of Boko Haram among Muslim youths that leads to acts of terrorism. This could be achieved through intellectual religious engagements/confrontation with the  radical Islamic groups that can easily be defeated using superior arguments from Muslim clergy. This is supposed to be the preoccupation of all Emirs and Imams; under the leadership of the Sultan. Such an effort is surely capable of yielding the required result.
* Several Boko Haram members would have laid their arms and many wouldn’t have joined the erroneous sect. Unfortunately, this was not to be. There have not been any visible or invisible effort by the Muslim leadership to convene such engagements at even a single location, let alone covering the whole troubled region. That could be why demand for action on the leadership is repeatedly made by well-meaning citizens.
* An invisible local intelligence structure to augment the government’s security and intelligence provisions was expected by Nigerians. People are aware of the Mai unguwa intelligence mechanism that existed in the Muslim communities. In those good olden days, timely and accurate local intelligence was always at the disposal of the authority. People now wonder why such networks couldn’t be resuscitated by the leadership and even reinvigorated by modern technologies? The call on the current leadership of the Muslim umma for action against Boko Haram could be on such need to re-invent this mechanism; so that the terrorists are trailed and apprehended at community level before causing havoc.
*Visibility of greater concern to other victims of the Boko Haram (especially the non-muslims) is also another step towards sharing a collective pain and encouraging a united front against the insurgent Boko Haram. For instance, if the Sultan would be seen mobilizing wealthy Nigerians (muslims and non-Muslims alike) to donate to the  victims of Boko Haram, or would be seen leading the Emirs and Ulamas on a solidarity visit to troubled communities in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states, or even to the smallest church in any remote village among the severally attacked ones; an overwhelming difference could have occurred in the troubled minds of the victims’ relations; thereby exonerating the larger part of the Muslim Ummah. Such were the actions demanded by the respected voices of senior Nigerians!”
As a journalist, the Sultan is one of the religious and traditional leaders I hold in a very high esteem. He has always come across me, not only as a ‘gentleman officer’, but as a leader that craves and works for a peaceful, economical strong and religiously-tolerant Nigeria. As co-chairman of Nigeria’s inter-faith committee, the Sultan has demonstrated at different forums that he is not just a leader that is seated in the Caliphate, but one that also tirelessly works for the good and peace of all Nigerians.
Sir, may I propose that you treat the letter by the CNMP as an endorsement for you by the group that sees you as a leader that can stand and be counted, particularly in these perilous times? Your Eminence, may Allah continue to keep, guide and guard you as you do this for us. It’s a huge task, no doubts; especially as the insurgents are not in any way physically, politically and economically connected with you, safe their claim to be Muslims! Ramadan Kareem to you, sir.
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/b-haram-the-concerned-northern-muslim-professionals-and-their-letter-to-the-sultan/184543/

Soldiers, Islamic Sect Clash in Zaria

Soldiers, Islamic Sect Clash in Zaria

250513F1.Nigerian-Soldiers.jpg - 250513F1.Nigerian-Soldiers.jpg
26 Jul 2014
Font Size: a / A
By John Shiklam 
       
Members of the of Islamic Movement of Nigeria otherwise known as Shiite, led by Sheikh Ibrahim El-zakzaky, yesterday clashed with soldiers in Zaria, Kaduna State.
About two people were said to have been shot by the soldiers during the incident which occurred at the PZ round about in Zaria.
A lecturer at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria who witnessed the incident but pleaded for anonymity, said the Islamic sect was having a procession to celebrate this year's "Quds"day when they clashed with the soldiers.
According to him, members of the Islamic sect whose procession caused serious traffic jam refused to give way to soldiers who were being conveyed in a military truck.
According to him, the soldiers who were probably coming back from a journey asked them to leave  the road to enable them pass, but the sect members allegedly refused to give way.
"These people blocked the main road along PZ causing serious traffic gridlock, there was a truck carrying soldiers and when the soldiers asked them to clear way for them to pass, they refused.
"They were circulating leaflets condemning Israel for killing Palestinians.
"The soldier fired gun shots in the air for them to give way but some of the youths among them blocked the truck and said they will rather be killed.
"The soldiers shot two of them on their legs and bundled them into the truck and drove off with them. That was how other motorists were able to drive past" he said.
The incident was said to have caused serious panic and pandemonium among residents of the city who ran helter skelter for their dear lives.
However, the leader of the sect, Sheikh Zakzaky could not be reached for his reaction. The situation was said to have been brought under control.
It could not be established whether anybody was killed at the time of this report.
All efforts to confirm the incident failed as several attempts to reach the Kaduna State police commissioner, Alhaji Umar Shehu and the spokesman of the police command Aminu Lawan on telephone were unsuccessful.
The police spokesman did not respond to the text message sent to him by our correspondent .
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/soldiers-islamic-sect-clash-in-zaria/184569/

Suspected Ebola patient dies in Lagos

Suspected Ebola patient dies in Lagos

ebola
Federal Health Ministry says all those who came in contact with the man have been quarantined.
———————————
A Liberian man admitted to a hospital in Lagos on Tuesday after exhibiting Ebola-like symptoms has died.
The man identified as Patrick Sawyer, arrived Lagos last Sunday from Liberia and died on Thursday night at the First Consultant Medical Centre, Obalende, Lagos, said state officials.
However, during a press briefing in Abuja on Friday, the Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, said the patient died on Friday morning.
“Despite the urgent specialised barrier nursing care provided for the patient in a Lagos Hospital, the patient unfortunately passed away in the early hours of July 25, 2014,” Mr. Chukwu said.
Mr Sawyer, an employee of the Liberian Ministry of Finance, came to Lagos to attend a conference.
Mr. Chukwu said the Federal Ministry of Health was alerted on a suspected case of the disease involving a 40-year old male travelling from Monrovia, Liberia to Nigeria on Asky Airline via Lome to Lagos on Tuesday.
He said the passenger had fever and other symptoms of the disease at the airport was quickly isolated by Port Health Division officials and transported to the hospital.
He said the patient was subjected to thorough medical and laboratory evaluation which confirmed the diagnosis of the disease. Mr. Sawyer was said to be in a stable condition earlier on Thursday and plans were being made to return him to Liberia but his condition worsened in the evening.
The result of tests conducted on Mr. Sawyer was still being awaited before he died.
The minister however reassured the public that the Ministry of Health was presently working with other ministries, agencies and international organizations to prevent the disease spread.
He said that all passengers that the patient came in contact with have been traced and are also being investigated medically. Lagos State health officials said the hospital where the man died has been cordoned off and about thirty people believed to have had contact with him quarantined.
Mr. Chukwu said, in line with global best practices, all ports entry in Nigeria including airports, seaports and land boarders have been placed on red alert as staff of the ministry of health are already positioned in the locations and surveillance beefed up.
He also said that tertiary health institutions in Nigeria have been equipped to handle any emergency that may arise from the disease.
Also, drugs and medical consumables are pre-positioned while the health ministry is working with all the states across Nigeria to contain the situation.
However, the minister admonished Nigerians to be vigilant, ensure personal and environmental hygiene and also report any suspected case to the nearest health facility.
He also said that emergency operation centre have been established and coordinated by the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, advising Nigerians to call 08023210923, 08097979595 and 07067352220; or email ebolainfo@health.gov.ng for inquiries.
The epicentre of Ebola is Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone where more than 900 people have been infected so far with the deadly virus with 630 deaths. There is no drug or vaccine to treat the virus and it has up to 90 per cent fatality rate.
Ebola is transmitted from fruit bats and apes to humans who hunt them for food and is further spread to other humans when they come in contact with the blood or body fluid of an infected person.
Symptoms include, fever, headache, chills, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, sore throat, backache, and joint pains. Later symptoms include bleeding from the eyes, ears and nose, bleeding from the mouth and rectum, eye swelling, swelling of the genitals and bloody rashes all over the body.
Lagos State government issued an alert last week advising people to observe high hygienic standard including washing of hand and thoroughly washing and cooking their meat before eating.
http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/165576-suspected-ebola-patient-dies-in-lagos.html