Ekiti Muslims collect rams from Fayose despite call for boycott

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NIGERIA:  “On the purported call on Muslims in Ekiti State not to receive Sallah Gifts from Governor Fayose, we wish to state that Muslims in the State are not only expecting Sallah Gifts from the governor, we will gladly accept the gifts.”

And in line with their declaration, a section of the Muslim community in Ekiti have collected rams from the state Governor, Dr. Ayodele Fayose, contrary to another faction that directed the Muslims to distance themselves from the number one citizen of the Fountain of Knowledge during Sallah period.

The aggrieved members of the League of Imams and Alfas in Nigeria, Ekiti Chapter had prior said that they would reject any ram or gifts from the governor as a way of protesting the alleged marginalization of Muslims in the political appointments made by Fayose.

They said all efforts to make the governor see reasons with them on the appointments fell on deaf ears, adding that they don’t have further option than to make their grievances known to the public.

Three of the Islamic leaders signed the communique.  They are Assistant Secretary, League of Imams and Alfas, Alhaji Quadri Oguntuase, representative of Ansar-u-deen Missioner, Fatai Jimoh and Chief Imam of Ilogbo, Abdul Rasak.

They said: “Based on the above, the League, Ekiti State Council hereby resolve that no Muslim in the state should collect rams and other food items if presented to them in any form by the government.”

Both Islamic leaders took their stand and issued press releases under the aegis of the League of Imams and Alfas in Nigeria, Ekiti Chapter.

But the governor, who Tuesday distributed rams to the Muslims in the state, urged them to eschew politicians who are likely to engage in whipping religious sentiment.

While giving out the rams to the lucky ones at the Government House in Ado-Ekiti, the governor said he would shun being dragged into playing politics with religion.

“I won’t allow anybody to drag me into playing politics with religion,” Fayose said. “What I am doing today is a demonstration of love and support for the Muslims. I am not that kind of a leader who does things with religious interest.”

“I will do same to Christians at Christmas exactly what I am doing to Muslims today,” he said, adding: “Ekiti is one whether you are Muslim or Christian and this is the spirit I want all of us to imbibe.”

He further stressed: “In my actions and conducts, every Ekiti man knows that I am going to relate with you whether you are a Christian or Muslim. The two are the same. I have no preference for either of the two. I am the governor today and if Muslims get there tomorrow, we will all support him.

“The Chancellor of the Ekiti State University and Alara of Aramoko Ekiti, Oba Olu Adeyemi, is a Muslim. The Special Adviser Political, Alhaji Ademola Bello, is a Muslim and many that had been appointed into boards, which I won’t like to play up.”

The governor pleaded with the Muslims to continue to live in harmony and always think of one Nigeria regardless of where they stayed or lived.

It would be recalled that discord set in when some leaders, under the League of Imams and Alfas in Nigeria, Ekiti Chapter, in the communique at the end of their meeting, stressed on the significance of rejecting any Sallah gift from the governor.

At the meeting held at Answar-Ud-Deen Central Mosque in Odo-Otu, Ado-Ekiti, the aggrieved clerics said their grouse was based on the fact that the governor had been marginalizing Muslims in the state over the myriad of political appointments so far made.

But in a swift reaction, some leaders under the same body, in a release, dissociated themselves from the call.

They said that they were not only expecting the gift, but that should Fayose offer them during the Muslim festival, they would promptly accept without looking back.

While reacting to the call to shun the gifts, the General Secretary of the League, Alhaji Abdulrazak Adenipekun, said in a statement that the League disowned “a certain Alhaji Quadri Oguntuase, who claimed to have spoken as the Assistant Secretary General of the League of Imam and Alfas in Ekiti State.”

Adenipekun said: “First and foremost, we wish to state that position of Assistant Secretary General does not exist in the League of Imam and Alfas in Ekiti State. Therefore, the said Alhaji Quadri Oguntuase is an impersonator, who assumed a non-existing position in the League of Imams and Alfas, ostensibly to carry out the sinister plot of his sponsors to cause disaffection among Muslims in Ekiti State on one hand, and between the State Government and Muslim faithful.”

“Secondly, the President of the League of Imams and Alfas in Ekiti State, Alhaji Jamiu Kewulere Bello is presently on Holy Pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia and he did not authorize any meeting of the League of Imams and Alfas,” the secretary-general stressed.

He added: “Thirdly, the General Secretary of the League of Imams and Alfas in Ekiti is Alhaji Abdulrazak Adenipekun, and it is the duty of the Secretary General to issue notice of meetings as directed by the president.

“In this instance case, no notice of meeting was issued by the General Secretary and no directive was given by the President for any meeting to be held.

“Therefore, we wish to dissociate the League of Imams and Alfas in Ekiti State from the purported press statement credited to Alhaji Quadri Oguntuase, one Fatai Jimoh who claimed to have represented Ansar-u-deen Missioner and Imam Abdul Rasak.”

Adenipekun further said that members of the league do not want to be involved in politics as a religious organisation, but explained that Fayose had shown “the highest level of respect for Muslim faithful in the State.”

He pointed out that Fayose was the first governor to allow a Muslim senator, out of the three, to be a member of the Upper Chamber, while one of the two representatives of Ado Local Government in the House of Assembly is a Muslim.

“It is the height of political mischief for anyone or group of people masquerading as League of Imams and Alfas in Ekiti to want to use our revered religious (non-political) organization to promote their own personal political agenda,” Adenipekun said.

He stressed: “We are non-political and it amounts to ridiculing the name of the Almighty Allah and our great Prophet Mohammed for anyone or group to drag the Islamic Religion into politics.

We therefore wish to warn those behind the mischief to stop or risk the wrath of the Almighty Allah (SWT).”

Adenipekun also stressed that the governor had never discriminated against Muslims, adding that during his first tenure, Fayose appointed Alhaji Yakubu Sanni, a Muslim, as Permanent Secretary.

“During his present tenure, apart from having a Muslim Senator for the first time, the governor’s Special Adviser on Political Matters is a Muslim, so also the Chairman of Ado Ekiti local Government,” he said, adding: “Also, the governor appointed a Muslim woman as Principal Confidential Secretary to the governor for the first time in the history of the State.”

He maintained: “As at today, not less than 30 Muslims, including Hausa and Ebira have been appointed by the governor and we are hopeful that he will appoint more Muslims into his government.

“We are therefore solidly behind the governor and in the overall interest of Ekiti State, we will continue to pray for the success of his administration.”