UI Chief Imam Sends Message to Agitators, Says Nigeria Can’t Be Divided
- A renowned Islamic Prof. Oloyede Abdulrahman says the agitators in the country are free to express their minds.
- Professor Abdulrahman, however, posits that agitators should not do so at the expense of the country's unity.
- The don spoke in Ibadan Sunday at a two-day workshop organised by the Federation of Ahlus-Sunnah organizations in Nigeria (FASON)
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Ibadan, Oyo - The Chief Imam of the University of Ibadan, Prof. Oloyede Abdulrahman, has said that individuals and groups that are clamouring for the Yoruba nation can get whatever they want without dividing the country.
Legit.ng's regional reporter in Ibadan, Ridwan Kolawole, reports that Oloyede made this disclosure while speaking at a two-day seminar organised by the Federation of Ahlus-Sunnah organizations in Nigeria (FASON) in Ibadan on Sunday, September 13.
Source: UGC
Present at the event held on Sunday were the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Osun State, Professor Abdulganiy Raji, Olowu of Owu Kuta, Oba Muhammad Raji Qasim, Akire of Ikire Ile, Oba Abdulaziz Olatubosun Adebamiji and Onishara of Inisa Edero, Oba Ajibade Tiamiyu Gbadegesin and Sheik Isa Akindele among other dignitaries.
Professor Oloyede spoke against the background of the lingering agitation of some groups and individuals particularly from Yorubaland clamouring for secession to form a Yoruba Nation.
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But Oloyede in a lecture titled "Lies and facts of one Nigeria" maintained that genuine dialogue is what Nigeria needs to solve the current challenges. and not secession.
Speaking further, the professor of Arabic and Islamic studies, advised political office holders to be accountable to the people in order to address the challenges facing the country.
Imam Abdulrahman maintained that it would be counterproductive and retrogressive for Nigerians to see themselves through the lenses of ethnicity and tribalism.
He said:
"We should not see ourselves as Kanuri, Hausa or Yoruba, we should see ourselves as one. Yoruba people especially Muslims should speak in one voice. We must speak in one voice. God has created us in different tribes for us to know each other."
"Whatever we want in Nigeria, we can get it without secession. We can get whatever we want in Nigeria if we remain together. It is not until we clamour for secession. What we need to do is to sit down together to dialogue and find solutions to the problems. And that is allowed in Islam."
While throwing caution on what could jeopardise the dialogue and eventually truncate the peace in the land, the don argued that there must be justice.
He added:
"And again, there should be justice, the leaders should be accountable to the people. The same thing applies to the followers. Let the leaders be accountable and followers to be accountable in the distribution of the resources God Has given to us in the country."
In his address, the acting Amir of FASON, Sheik Tajudeen Abdulkareem Al-Adabi while speaking with journalists noted that the essence of the seminar was to educate the public that secession is not the solution to the problem of Nigeria.
Sheikh Al-Adabi noted that "We are saying that secession is not the answer that can help us. We have seen some countries that have seceded, the problems are still there after the breakup.
"We know that there are problems in the country, what we need is to call ourselves and come together and dialogue."
The FASON Amir contended that understanding and giving each their rights will go a long way in addressing the current challenges in the country.
He said:
"Let Yoruba understand Hausa, let Hausa understand other tribes, what we have in the country is enough for us to be enjoying."
Sunday Igboho asks Benin govt to return him to Nigeria
Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that the Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Igboho, stated that he is no longer scared of anyone and doesn't mind being jailed like the arrested leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu.
It was reported that Igboho expressed confidence that if the Benin Republic returns him to Nigeria he would regain his freedom, saying he is not afraid to return home.
Igboho said that he is ready to return to the country, adding that nothing would happen to him as long as there is God.
Source: Legit.ng
