Former Vice-Chancellor of University of Ilorin,
Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, is currently the Secretary-
General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for
Islamic Affairs. In this interview with ADE
ADESOMOJU, he speaks on insecurity and
welfare of Muslims
As an academic, what do you think is
responsible for the falling standard of education
in the country viz-a-viz the drop of the Nigerian
universities in global ranking?
I don’t know the facts you have but I have a
contrary view. I do not believe that the standard
of education is falling in Nigeria. I also don’t
believe that the ranking of Nigerian universities
is going down, that is not true.
In actual fact, I know that there has been
tremendous improvement in the ranking, despite
the fact that some of the ranking parameters are
tilted against developing countries and new
universities. When I say new universities, I mean
universities established 150 years ago; they are
disadvantaged when compared with universities
like Cambridge and Oxford; that have existed for
800, 900, 1,000 years. And some of the criteria
take that (age) into consideration. All the major
rankings that I’m aware of actually show that
Nigerian universities are improving rather than
declining and you can check them up.
If you start from Times Higher Education ranking
to Webometrics Ranking, currently, all of them
rank University of Ilorin number one and I’m
happy and proud about that. In the last five
years, we have come first at least three times
during my tenure. And now, the university has
returned to that position, which I am very
pleased with. Talking generally, universities in
Nigeria are coming up; they are improving on the
ranking table. It is not true to say they are going
down.
In any case, how well ranked is the country?
Why are we saying universities must be different
from the ranking of the country? When you rank
the countries, what is the position of Nigeria as
a country? Definitely, universities are better than
the country itself. When countries are ranked,
what is the position of Nigeria? What is the
position of the country, when banks are ranked;
when different sectors are ranked? You will find
out that universities are definitely performing
better, when compared with other sectors. This
is not to say that there is no room for
improvement. But to say that the universities are
going down is not true, they are rather
improving.
How are Nigerian universities improving when
major stakeholders in the education sector such
as the Academic Staff Union of Universities
keep complaining that the university education
in the country is not well funded?
To me, you are putting together two unrelated
issues. Any worker agitating will have to put
facts together to convince you that you have to
do more. I agree with ASUU that government
should fund education more than it is presently
doing. But that is not to condemn what is on
ground as if nothing is being done. As far as I
am concerned, we are not doing badly in terms
of funding, salary structure and remuneration and
conditions of service; I don’t think we are doing
badly when compared with our counterparts
across the world.
What I know, as a matter of fact, is that
agitation comes when you compare the
remuneration of university workers, particularly
academics, with the remuneration (either legal or
illegal) of other people that are not as endowed
or as tasked as the university lecturers. They
say ‘if a local government chairman could earn
this, why would a professor earn less. If a federal
permanent secretary should earn this, why
should a professor earn less?’ I do not see any
justification for a professor of any university,
particularly a public university, earning anything
less than what a federal permanent secretary
earns. In fact, professors were earning more
than permanent secretaries during the country’s
independence.
Maybe things have changed because of the
increase in the number of professors and so on,
but there is room for improvement and I’m not
against improvement. What I am saying is that
we are not doing poorly. Government should
encourage academics by improving on the
welfare of academic staff.
Are other aspects of the university system, like
research, laboratories and libraries also not
seeking government’ attention?
I believe that resources are being made
available. It’s just that Nigerian government is
not organised. If the Nigerian government is
organised and if they could put together some of
the things they do in pockets, you will discover
that the government – in terms of funding
federal universities – is not doing poorly. Take
into consideration what TETFUND (Tertiary
Education Trust Fund); what the PTDF
(Petroleum Technology Development Fund)
provide. There are so many interventions. It is
just that they (government) are not coordinated.
The government appears to be doing everything
at ad hoc level. I have been the President of
Association of African Universities, so I have a
global view of what is happening in Africa. I
know that as a matter of fact, many countries in
Africa are trying to copy our TETFUND. There is
GETFUND in Ghana now, the equivalent of our
TETFUND. And I have seen that many countries
in Africa are agitating to be paid as much as
Nigerian lecturers are paid. That is not to say
that Nigerian lecturers are being sufficiently paid,
there is room for improvement, but it is not as
poor as people make it to appear.
Would you agree that the abduction of the
Chibok girls is a setback to the drive towards
bridging the education gap between the southern
and northern parts of the country?
I agree, it is a setback to development. It is a
sad thing that it has happened. I also believe
that God will reveal those behind this. I believe
there can be miscreants who claim to be
Muslims who might be part of it. But definitely,
from what we can see, it is more than the
ordinary. You can see what happened with the
President of the Christian of Association of
Nigeria’s jet. Even a fool will not believe the
story being put forward by the Federal
Government concerning the arms deal in South
Africa. Many traditional leaders have told me on
enquiry that they have seen aircraft – helicopters
– dropping ammunition and food for these
militants (Boko Haram). And they believe that
there must be an official hand trying to use this
so-called insurgency to cause maximum damage
to Islam and Muslims in Nigeria. But as God will
have it, we have seen what happened in South
Africa.
Despite the stories being peddled by the Federal
Government and some religious leaders, I think
everybody who can see and think, will see that
there are so many non-Muslims who have been
arrested doing one violent thing or the other.
Once those who are not Muslims are arrested, it
is immediately dismissed by Marilyn Ogar of the
Department of State Security. When it was the
case of a former Governor of Borno and a former
Chief of Army Staff, you could see that DSS did
not mince words in quickly acquitting one and
leaving the other, because the other man is a
Muslim. You cannot get to the root of this crisis,
if you think this is a religious thing – ‘the
Muslims are the one’ – and you want to do
everything to demonise Islam and the Muslims in
Nigeria. God will continue to expose them, as He
has exposed them in South Africa.
It is gladdening that there are still some sane
people in this country, despite the fact that they
are Christians, who have been able to speak the
truth about what is really going on – that people
are using Christianity in Nigeria to commit
irreligious crimes; they are using religion for
irreligious purposes. What these flying pastors do
is that because they have created the image of
men of God for themselves, security men are not
critical of them. Their planes are very good
materials to be used to commit all sorts of
atrocities across countries of the world. I do not
go for the claim of money laundering (in South
Africa), I know that the Almighty Allah wanted to
expose the evil they are doing.
Who are the people you are referring to?
Who are the people? It is clear for you to see.
How can the government of the Federal Republic
of Nigeria transact such business with an aircraft
belonging to the President of CAN? There are so
many things to be looked at. The fact that the
Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs is
keeping quiet is because we are still studying the
situation. At the appropriate time, we will come
out. We are not fools. What is happening in
Nigeria now is that, they want to create the
impression that Muslims are violent. But God has
started to show those behind Boko Haram.
Eighty per cent of those who have been killed by
this Boko Haram are Muslims.
I am not persuaded any way but some people
are trying to bring this ex-militant – Mujahid
Dokubo-Asari – into it just to show that maybe
a Muslim was involved. I don’t believe he is
involved. I am not speaking for him. Go to South
Africa, you are a journalist, and find out the
names of the two Nigerians who were involved.
Whe the press talks about these people; they
deliberately do not inquire into the names of
these people and they are now talking about
Asari-Dokubo.
You seem to believe that the purchase of arms
from South Africa were not meant for the fight
against Boko Haram.
If they (arms) were to be used in the interest of
the nation, it (the transaction) would have
followed the correct procedure. A religious
leader’s aircraft would not have been involved;
the Federal Government has many aircraft to be
used. They can tell that to the marines. The
impression they have is that Muslims are stupid;
they are docile; they don’t know what is going
one. I think that is wrong. The fact that we keep
quiet does not mean we are stupid.
What is then the solution?
That is why we, as Muslims, don’t have
confidence in the Federal Government of Nigeria
to be fair to us. On this matter, what we believe
we should do is to call on an independent
international body to look into it.
Which matter?
The whole Boko Haram saga: who are those
arming Boko Haram and what connection does
that have with what is going on in South Africa?
You will recall that when the first bombing
occurred in Abuja, many accusing fingers were
pointed to some Muslims; that they must have
done it. Somebody was caught in South Africa,
he happened to be a non-Muslim. He has been
convicted but it is played down because he is
not a Muslim. Many Christians have been
arrested; you remember the episode of the
Federal Ministry of Information; you remember
the Bauchi episode; you remember the Osogbo
episode. These are non-Muslims who were
caught unleashing or about to unleash violence
on people. But because they were non-Muslims,
the issues were not played up. But there are
hundreds of Muslims who are being detained;
who are being persecuted simply on the
suspicion that they are Boko Haram, whereas,
the real Boko Haram are left to go about to
perpetrate what they are perpetrating in this
country.
The Federal Government should deeply look
inwards. The persecution of Muslims must stop
in this country. We want a country that is just to
all; a country which everybody will be proud to
be a member of. A situation where you are using
agencies of government to persecute and
suppress a group will not work.
But there is a forum where the Islamic body
meets with the Christian body, especially on the
issues of Boko Haram and insecurity in the
country.
We don’t meet on Boko Haram. We don’t meet
on terrorism. Let me tell you, we have the
Nigeria Inter-Religious Council but for now I
don’t want to talk about that. You cannot
continue to play politics with religion. What is
happening now is that we are playing politics
with religion. Religious leadership in Nigeria has
been infiltrated by crooks and criminals and they
are just using religion as a camouflage to
commit atrocities against this nation and the
citizens. You can imagine that if what happened
in South Africa had involved a Muslim, by now,
the Muslim would have been arrested. Look at
the people who were accused of either
kidnapping or of Boko Haram membership;
military will destroy the whole house, even if the
landlord is not living there. What’s the offence?
‘You have given out your house to kidnappers or
Boko Haram, so we must destroy.’ Why would
that not apply in the case of the aircraft now? Is
it because that there is no Islamic link to those
who were found?
Has the Muslim community ever raised these
issues of alleged persecution before the
President or the government?
When you raise issues, what happens? Did we
not raise the issue that Muslims were
marginalised in the case of the National
Conference, where only about one-third or less of
the chosen members were Muslims? Didn’t the
President promise us that he was going to
rectify it? Did he do anything? He didn’t do
anything simply because the religious
contractors might have advised him that he
should not do anything. After he promised us,
did he do anything?
Would Muslims also complain about
marginalisation over appointments into public
offices?
It is obvious. You are journalist, go and find out
what is happening in the military, the police and
in public service. Go and see where a Muslim
chief executive is removed and look at who
replaces him; where a Christian is removed, look
at who replaces him. We are not fools. For the
fact that we are not talking now should not be
taken as if we are ignorant. We are keeping quiet
because we know that we have to pay some
price for national security. It will get to a point
that the government will know that Muslims are
not fools in this country.
Have you noticed the alleged marginalisation
and persecution under the current
administration?
It is pronounced under this administration. It is
particularly pronounced. Go and do the analysis
yourself. You say you want to empower
minorities, why have you not appointed a
minister from the South-East who is a Muslim?
Why have you not appointed a minister from the
South-South who is a Muslim? But you can go
and search for a Christian in Borno; you can go
and look for a Christian in Sokoto. Is that not
selective searching? God has started in His own
way of revealing the evil. I am sure that at the
end of the day when we get to the root of what
is happening in this country, people will know
that some people are committed to the
destruction of this country.
What about the allegation that the Islamic body
has not been doing enough to seek the release
the abducted Chibok girls and end the terrorism
in the country?
What would we have done? We have issued
statements so many times. All Muslims are now
being treated as culprits. The fact that you are a
Muslim, makes you a suspect even if you do
nothing. There was poor construction in that
church in Lagos and the building collapsed. And
when they were looking for reasons, they said it
was Boko Haram – ridiculous claim. Some of
these stories are offensive to anybody who is
reasonable. The Federal Government has to
reassess itself, be upright and just.
What is the Islamic community doing to help to
tackle terrorism?
As far as we are concerned, we believe that we
need an independent body to assess who are
Boko Haram members; who are their sponsors?
They started with a story that it is because the
northerners have lost political power but that is
not selling now.
What do you think is the implication of the
spate of insecurity and the perceived
marginalisation of Muslims on the 2015 general
elections?
I don’t know about that. 2015 or not 2015, my
prayer is that God will see this country through
whatever it is. That is what we are saying;
whether it influences it or does not influence it,
we are not religious politicians, we are just
religious people. Those who are active politicians
and camouflaging as religious bodies, we leave
them to their conscience. As far as we are
concerned, religion is not the issue. We are a
country that has come together as a multi-
religious state. www.punchng.com/news/persecution-of-muslims-higher-under-jonathan-oloyede/

I am really worried about the perception of
this man. If you are accusing the government
of prejudice against a religious group and you
cannot give us a specific example except in
generic terms, it is sad. While the aircraft
belonging to the CAN president used for the
illicit arm purchase by the government is
nothing but criminal, I don’t think it can be
elevated to the realm of prejudice against a
particular religion. Looking at the operations
of the federal government in this country
since independence, it can be said without
any contradiction that the federal government
has favored the Muslims more than the
Christians. This fact is incontrovertible.
Although I am not a supporter of this
president and his government, I am sure that
religious prejudice is far from its many woes.
What I deduced from the professor’s
assumption is what I will call ‘reverse
prejudice’.

Am actually still struggling to believe comments/statements like this came from the former VC of unilorin...

I guess holding jumat prayer/s on road/s meant for the use of all nigerians should be considered religious persecution to none muslims...and you dare not complain

How can a professor reason this way?

Funny professor. When the SA govt have confirmed the transaction was legitimate and that they would return the money. The CAN president has no questions to answer since his aircraft was on lease. Even if he's aware of the transaction, he sure has a good reason to allow the use of his aircraft. DSS clean bill of health on Ihejirka is final, if the prof has anything contrary let him go to the DSS.

[color=#006600][/color]
hmmmmn.. All this religion wahala, muslims accusing christians, christians accusing muslims, use to think that the yoruba's ain't got anything to do with religion fights/blames, na religion go finally seperate Nigeria not even tribe

fitzmayowa:
A[b]m actually still struggling to believe comments/statements like this came from the former VC of unilorin...
[/b]
I guess holding jumat prayer/s on road/s meant for the use of all nigerians should be considered religious persecution to none muslims...and you dare not complain

How can a professor reason this way?

Imagine.
Tomorrow teachers will go on strike and they'll blame it on government corruption when ba$tards like this are the ones over seeing our schools.

When a Professor starts to rattle like a market woman, you should know that he is merely regurgitating mere propaganda. It is only impervious to religious bigots like him that under GEJ, we have more Muslims than Christians in positions of Authority. He was asked about the Chibok Girls who are Christians but he started foaming at the mouth about the South African Issue. Who doesn't know that he wants to make political Capital out of an issue that has been pronounced dead by both the Nigerian and South Sfrican Governments

Johnnyessence:
I am really worried about the perception of
this man. If you are accusing the government
of prejudice against a religious group and you
cannot give us a specific example except in
generic terms, it is sad.

He did give very specific examples why he feels the way he does but you wilfully decided to ignore.

How did you miss all the parts he indirectly pointed at the Henry Okah and Oritsejasatan?

You're just as biased and crazy as the good Professor.

Didn't the Federal Government build several Almajiri (Islamic) schools that will serve Muslims exclusively in the North?

Has the government built Christian schools for Christians anywhere?

if anyone should be accused (rightly or falsely) of persecution of Muslims it should be Fashola, the muslim governor who banned the hijab in Public schools in Lagos state.

Nigerians sef I just don't get it. There is no federal government persecution anywhere. That Prof Ishaq does not like the President is not a crime, but trying to malign the presidency on religious grounds is wrong.

Imagine how retarded this man's view is..makes u wonder how he trained his students.

My stand? A professor is actually a professional in a particular field and a dullard in other fields. Now my angle: u've had time to think abou persecution..really? Well u've every right to defend ur religion anyway. If i had not spent half of my life in d north i would have gone with ur view prof. Sadly enough, d greatest persecutor of islam in northern Nigeria remains ignorance and illiteracy. The power house(youths) is the most abundant war instrument and d super rich and influencial are tapping endlessly from it. Religious fanatism is wen u say all Arne must be exterminated and u skip d conditions as stated in d Qur'an and give the benefits. D difference is clear btw a yoruba n hausa/fulani muslim to d point dat d former is also been persecuted togeda with d xtians in the north!

Degis:
When a Professor starts to rattle like a market woman, you should know that he is merely regurgitating mere propaganda. It is only impervious to religious bigots like him that under GEJ, we have more Muslims than Christians in positions of Authority. He was asked about the Chibok Girls who are Christians but he started foaming at the mouth about the South African Issue. Who doesn't know that he wants to make political Capital out of an issue that has been pronounced dead by both the Nigerian and South Sfrican Governments

what do u expect to come out of the mouth of a professor of islamic studies

luv2talk:

Odeee...should we see the artificial traffic jam caused by Merchants of Gospel on the Lagos/Ibadan express way as religious persecution to muslims too?

or dont u av the brain to ask ur government why is the road in bad condition. we dont block roads but u guyz block our roads with tents and canopies.

luv2talk:

You mean the Aircraft bought by his Poverty strriken church member for evangelism was on lease?
I give up

i laugh in english, it was a birthday gift to him and not aircraft bought for evangelism,

luv2talk:

Odeee...should we see the artificial traffic jam caused by Merchants of Gospel on the Lagos/Ibadan express way as religious persecution to muslims too?

Did they hold a prayer crusade on the express way or are you blind to the fact that i just used that as an example...


Before you post trash ensure that you understand the context of the comment/post...

Nigeria has boarded a one chance bus

Imagine a VC of Yoruba extraction talking like a Northern alamajiri

Another mad Prof from the north

for the first time in my life I think the country should be separated. if professor and a former vc could reason like this then the country is finish. from his statements every Muslims must really hate Christians no matter how they pretends, and if they could hate Christians this much what fate await a total unbeliever.

ISpiksDaTroof:
He did give very specific examples why he feels the way he does but you wilfully decided to ignore.

How did you miss all the parts he indirectly pointed at the Henry Okah and Oritsejasatan?

You're just as biased and crazy as the good Professor.

smh..keep foaming and sweating in ur pants,yall fanatics and stale losers gonna have gej to cope with till '19 n u whine n foam n bark n convuls n fart as much as u like,he remains ur commander in chief n u know what that means..u guys shud try n see..

Blakjewelry:
for the first time in my life I think the country should be separated. if professor and a former vc could reason like this then the country is finish. from his statements every Muslims must really hate Christians no matter how they pretends, and if they could hate Christians this much what fate await a total unbeliever.

on the contrary, they have been hating and massacring unbelivers in Nigeria since amalgamation. The proff isn't saying anything new..remember the kano massacre of 1953? The massacre of southerners in 1966? The one in 1983? The sharia massacre of 2000? The miss world uproar which led to killings? The beheading of Gideon for touching a Qoran? The burning of a female teacher BY HER STUDENTS for flinging away a Qoran from her student who was using it to cheat in class? The killings of unbelivers in the north because a danish comic artist mocked Muhammed in faraway europe bombings and shooting of Christians right inside their churches? should I go beyond the shores of Nigeria for more examples?

sarutobie:

on the contrary, they have been hating and massacring unbelivers in Nigeria since amalgamation. The proff isn't saying anything new..remember the kano massacre of 1953? The massacre of southerners in 1966? The one in 1983? The sharia massacre of 2000? The miss world uproar which led to killings? The beheading of Gideon for touching a Qoran? The burning of a female teacher BY HER STUDENTS for flinging away a Qoran from her student who was using it to cheat in class? The killings of unbelivers in the north because a danish comic artist mocked Muhammed in faraway europe bombings and shooting of Christians right inside their churches? should I go beyond the shores of Nigeria for more examples?

It must have been goodluck jonathan arming them even way back, even after goodluck was declared the winner, he went underground, armed almajiris to start killing corpers and burning churches, he armed youths to kill because uncle moe was depicted in a cartoon, and even way back to 1963, it was him.

luv2talk:

You mean [b]the Aircraft bought by his Poverty strriken church member for evangelism was on lease?
I give up [/b]

I think your major concern should be what he does with the proceed from the aircraft lease.

But then, how do we know? Maybe should allow the church members to worry over that.

Who knows, the proceed might be going for the same purpose of the gospel.

Btw, do you have a proof of the bold?

#justsaying

The Prof Is a Grade 1 religious Bigot.

But am not surprised, Muslims think Koran/religion before Reason/country that's one reason Boko haram is difficult for Nigerian Army to contain. An Army General of Muslim extraction won't be able to do his job diligently in the North because he is biased beyond measure.

All Terrorist are Muslim but not all Muslims are Terrorist.

Now if you Fight the Terrorists Muslims will scream persecution and if you leave the terrorists Same Muslims will still scream persecution and marginalisation.

What exactly does this group of people really want..always complaining and whining.

No be only una dey did country oo.

rigarmortis:



It must have been goodluck jonathan arming them even way back, even after goodluck was declared the winner, he went underground, armed almajiris to start killing corpers and burning churches, he armed youths to kill because uncle moe was depicted in a cartoon, and even way back to 1963, it was him.

it was definitely Jonathan and his government that caused the kano "riot" of '53...in 2011 when he won the election, he decided to silence the corpers who rigged for him by murdering them in broad daylight on the streets..I wonder why he didn't murder the ones who rigged for him in the south though..Jonathan and his government went ahead to allocate 80% of the oil blocks to men from the northern extract while the people who have the oil in their backyard wallow in poverty..Jonathan tried to woo that lady, she refused and he got her students to kill her in broad daylight for refusing his advances...he made it look like it was because of the qoran she flung away..Jonathan and his government went ahead to build schools for the northern kids on the streets, the 'almajiris'..so he can use them as a steady supply for violence in the country. how wicked can one man be! because of his hatred for Muslims he connived with a danish artist in europe to mock Muhammed, then he used unbelievers to murder other unbelievers just to make the muslims in Nigeria look bad..chaii diaris god oo.

sarutobie:

it was definitely Jonathan and his government that caused the kano "riot" of '53...in 2011 when he won the election, he decided to silence the corpers who rigged for him by murdering them in broad daylight on the streets..I wonder why he didn't murder the ones who rigged for him in the south though..Jonathan and his government went ahead to allocate 80% of the oil blocks to men from the northern extract while the people who have the oil in their backyard wallow in poverty..Jonathan tried to woo that lady, she refused and he got her students to kill her in broad daylight for refusing his advances...he made it look like it was because of the qoran she flung away..Jonathan and his government went ahead to build schools for the northern kids on the streets, the 'almajiris'..so he can use them as a steady supply for violence in the country. how wicked can one man be! because of his hatred for Muslims he connived with a danish artist in europe to mock Muhammed, then he used unbelievers to murder other unbelievers just to make the muslims in Nigeria look bad..chaii diaris god oo.

Yea, all jonathan.

i need a job onboard a ship, studied marine engineering. Have my stcw 95,medical n discharge book ready. Momlilyseyi@gmail.com or 08023373302Thanks

gsalvatore:
The Prof Is a Grade 1 religious Bigot.

But am not surprised, Muslims think Koran/religion before Reason/country that's one reason Boko haram is difficult for Nigerian Army to contain. An Army General of Muslim extraction won't be able to do his job diligently in the North because he is biased beyond measure.

All Terrorist are Muslim but not all Muslims are Terrorist.

Now if you Fight the Terrorists Muslims will scream persecution and if you leave the terrorists Same Muslims will still scream persecution and marginalisation.

What exactly does this group of people really want..always complaining and whining.

No be only una dey did country oo.

The prof is another Kwara muslim trying hard to be Fulani and please his Fulani masters.
No need to pay attention to another quote system professor from the north, he will naturally rust like Ango Abdullahi of ABU Zaria.

You want to see religious presecution? Come with me to Kano and every city/country where muslims are a majority or in power.

Where can a christian go to worship in Kano apart from Sabon Gari Now, that's persecution!

I guess their most revered media house, the CNN News and Reports about Islamist terrorist is also a ploy in collaboration with GEJ to paint Islam in bad light.