The Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN) has called on the organizers of the proposed protest across the country to embrace dialogue, peaceful and amicable resolution of all the issues at stake.
The umbrella body for the Muslim communities in the South West gave the advice in a press statement by its President, Alhaji Rasaki Oladejo on Friday.
Alhaji Oladejo expressed that mutual consultation, dialogue and peaceful resolution of any national issue is in line with doctrines as contained in the Holy Quran.
The statement reads:
“The Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN) is hereby joining its voices with other stakeholders to caution those planning a nationwide protest across the Federation to shelve the idea and embrace dialogue, peaceful and amicable resolution of all the issues at stake.
As an umbrella body for the Muslim Communities in the South West, MUSWEN believes in mutual consultation, dialogue and peaceful resolution of any national issue in line with Islamic dictates as contained in the Holy Qur’an.
MUSWEN implores those behind the proposed national protest over the current economic hardship in the country to realise that such action may be hijacked by some unpatriotic elements thus making it violent and destructive.
It must be pointed out here that no matter how peaceful a protest might be in Nigeria, hoodlums and miscreants usually participate in it – thus turning the whole exercise into uncontrollable and destructive crises.
It is important to stress here that organising any public protest now in the country will only worsen an already bad situation which the protest wanted to correct and may also lead to destruction of lives and properties.
As much as MUSWEN believes in the fact that individuals and groups have freedom to protest, such an act must follow its decorum and that the situation in the country now does not call for such.
MUSWEN therefore call on those aggrieved and have better ideas on how to move the nation forward to be patriotic enough to share such noble ideas with those in the helms of affairs and give them more time to implement such.
The Muslim Ummah also counsels the government of the day to listen to yearnings of the public and put the machinery in motion to address all their concerns as soon as practicable.
We pray for the peace, unity and prosperity of the country while calling on the government to expedite action in cushioning the effects of the policies on the citizenry.
