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Contemporary discourses in Nigeria exhibit a reflection of some of the issues that are the trend in international politics and diplomacy. Issues such as development, security, democracy, secularism and the relative role of religion are some of the issues constantly shaping opinions and ideas in our global village while at the same time influencing governmental actions and policies.
In our nation, these trend of discourse carry with them the Nigerian peculiarity of overkill and banal exaggerations as so called experts discuss some of these issues, especially security, where, if all that we have heard in recent time is anything to go by, one would have thought that Osama Bin Laden is a Nigerian and that Al Qaeda was formed here. The mere expression recently by a retired police chief that the Nigerian government should dialogue with the Boko Haram sect caused more than a stampede among this circle of ‘intellectuals’ who feel theirs is the monopoly of opinion in the country. The same ‘experts’ who painstakingly exonerate one form of terror – those coming from so called ‘militants’ from the southern part of the country- from another- those of the north- on the ground of what they described as past injustice of the Nigerian state against the former’s region, called for both dialogue and compensation (including overseas trainings, immediate employment upon returning and a largesse that the federal government should graciously hand out) for the southern ‘terrorists’ while for the ‘senseless terrorists’ from the north (whose actions to date are of course condemnable), the FBI, CIA and probably Israeli Mossad should be brought into the country a la Afghanistan.

This, even as some members of this southern militants declined negotiation, and a section of it openly went about calling for dissolution of the country as currently constituted, as recorded from the unremorseful utterances of one of them held by a South African court following the October first bombings in Abuja. It is the ‘terrorists from the north’ that must be eliminated. Perhaps because of their hatred for ‘book’ as their name seems to suggest ‘Boko Haram’, (i.e., book or western education is ‘Haram’- forbidden) or probably because they belong to a particular religion or perhaps both. On the other hand, the ‘terrorists from the south’ may be pardoned. Perhaps too, because of their love for ‘book’; you know, it was from their ‘glimpse’ into the books (literatures) that made them realize how much they have been short changed and so got catapulted into militancy. These ‘Boko Halal’ if one may venture such an anachronism for these ‘terrorists from the south’ – have been so favored. Maybe this explains why they do not receive much knocks on the head for their own brand of terrorism, which is no less devastating in effect and the resulting carnage. It could also be that why their own terrorism is being overlooked has to do with their being ‘southerners’ and belonging to a religion for which violence is unknown? Even the President of the country came out in their defense saying that ‘terrorism is not in our character’ on the occasion of the October first Abuja bombings.

I brought out the above scenario to show how lopsided, unfair and unbalanced, mainstream opinion channels in the country have been in the discourse of issues that have religious connotations in Nigeria, although my main area of concern is the ongoing hullabaloo regarding the CBN’s issuance of guidelines on Non interest banking in Nigeria which as usual has been dubiously dubbed ‘attempt at Islamizing Nigeria’. This restrictive tagging of the CBN’s new initiative only as ‘Islamic’ banking paints a picture of mandatory conversion to Islam as pre requisite for participation in the scheme by anybody who wishes to join the scheme.

I have listened to the arguments for and against on the issue and came to the conclusion that those who shout the loudest about religious tolerance, and present themselves as victims of some forms of religious extremism are themselves the cruel, hypocritical and intolerant extremists bent on stifling any initiative that is not from their own religion, irrespective of the benefit such initiatives may bring to the country as a whole whose population ‘labor and are heavy laden’.

First of all, the rate of ignorance exhibited by the opponents of the scheme on this and many other issues calls for serious concern, as it leads one to begin to ask what the aims of these people are, with regard to religious harmony, peaceful coexistence and tolerance –which they are wont to touting.

Anybody familiar with developmental issues, especially those revolving around monetary and fiscal matters will come to realize the role and the increasing attention that is daily given to the range of schemes called Islamic; from Islamic Economics to Islamic Banking, Islamic finance and product, Islamic equity, only the ignorant will spread his arm to prevent an idea that is of global reach and dimension. To be precise, the Islamic banking system is being embraced in over 75 countries of which US, Britain, France, Germany and South Africa- countries with enormous economic fortunes and global accolades featured.  

I went to the official website of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on the advice of one of its officers, Mr. Chiedu Moghalu –if I remember correctly- in one of his television interviews. What I gleaned from the site is worth sharing;

That one, ‘the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has issued new guidelines for the operation of Non interest banking in Nigeria. The new guidelines are the outcome of the review of earlier guidelines issued based on the recommendations of various stakeholders;

Two, ‘that the new guidelines clarify the contextual definition of Non interest banking WHICH IS NOT RESTRICTED TO ISLAMIC BANKING, BUT ALSO INCLUDE OTHER FORM OF NON INTEREST BANKING NOT BASED ON ISLAMIC PRINCIPLE (WHICH) IS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THE BANKS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS ACTS (BOFIA) WHICH CLEARLY PROVIDE FOR TWO VARIANTS OF NON INTEREST BANKING. This ensures that discrimination on any grounds in the participation by individuals or institutions as promoters, depositors, or other relevant parties in any transaction regarding a non- interest financial institutions, whether based on the Islamic or other model, is strictly prohibited;

Three, ‘a significant review is the removal of any reference to Shariah Council which has been changed to Advisory Council of Experts whose responsibility is to advise the CBN on the appropriateness of relevant financial product to be offered by the institutions
 
Four, that ‘for the avoidance of doubt section 23 (1) and section 66 of the BOFIA 1991, (as amended) explicitly provide for the licensing of Non Interest Banks (NIBs)’ while the CBN is obliged by law ‘to issue licenses to appropriate entities for the establishment of NIBs, provided they meet the regulatory requirement for licenses’

Finally, ‘the CBN is open to receiving and evaluating application for licensing of non interest banking institutions based on other principles rather than the Islamic variant and will SOON ISSUE SEPARATE GUIDELINES FOR NON INTEREST BANKING UNDER OTHER PRINCIPLES’.

In the light of the above, it is clear that in releasing these guidelines, the CBN had taken note of the under listed and had made adequately provision;

(a) OTHER FORM OF NON INTEREST BANKING NOT BASED ON ISLAMIC PRINCIPLES; so that those for whom the appellation ‘Islamic’, is ‘offensive’ can have their own variant(s), all in the attempt to better the lot of mankind in a healthy competition which Islam encourages, for it is a known fact that the non interest variant of banking serves humanity better.

(b) ADVISORY COUNCIL OF EXPERTS as against SHARIAH COUNCIL so that ‘Shariah-related’ qualifications alone will not be the basis upon which individuals will be entitled to sit on the advisory board of any such non interest banking institutions even if they happened to be ‘Islamic’.

(c) SECTIONS 23 (1) AND 66 OF THE BOFIA 1991 (AS AMENDED), explicitly provide for the establishment of NIBs; for those interested in implementing the non interest banking system so that it does not just remain another law warming the books.

Having said the above, I am at a loss as to the basis of the opposition to the licensing and the inevitable floating and operation of the Islamic banking by some elements, prominent among which is the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) under the twin pretext of Nigeria being a secular state and the ‘threat’ of ‘Islamizing’ the country.

To refresh our memory, this is not the first time that CAN is opposing such initiatives by Muslims of this country. In the 1980s, this same body was at the forefront of opposing Nigeria’s membership of the Organization Of Islamic Countries (OIC), even when several non Islamic nations such as Togo, Benin, Ivory Coast and Cameroun are members, with countries such as Thailand and the Central African republic as observers. Besides, the fact that Nigeria maintained two foreign missions in Italy – one for country and the other for the Vatican- yet this does not appear to CAN as a necessary sacrifice by the country based on the principle of equity, rather than equality, as Muslims too would have been obliged to pursue and rightly too, a dual representation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (one for religious need and the other for state matters), as this bigotry opposition of CAN would have logically suggested
The same CAN was everywhere in 2001when some northern states in Nigeria decided to introduce the Shariah legal system as demanded by the people of their states. If one would recall, the unnecessary bloodshed that rained on the country was not a direct consequence of the implementation of the Islamic legal code, rather, it was brought about by the cloud of fear of marginalization created by the propaganda of CAN and its cohorts. More than a decade into the introduction of the legal code, one is yet to witness the ‘feared’ forceful conversion of Christians into Islam or the turning of the country into a one- religion state, but lives have been wasted over unfounded fears and CAN have since withdrew.

Again, at the completion of the National Assembly building bearing the dome structure on its head, CAN came out again to label it as the ‘Islamization’ of the country, calling for its demolition.

Also when the Arabic inscriptions on the Naira notes were surreptitiously removed by the former CBN governor- turned politician, Professor Charles Soludo, CAN and its ‘executives’ prominent among which are Reuben Abati (now appointed Special Adviser to the President of the federal Republic in what Honorable Femi Gbajabiamila noted as not following the due  process of consultation with the House of Representatives)  and Olubunmi Okogie began to justify the removal, claiming among other things, the secular nature of Nigeria. I could remember, in the war of words between Abati and Dr. Lakin Akintola of the Lagos State University (LASU) on newspaper pages over the matter, Abati, in a desperate move to prove his point furnished a wrong statistics- I would not say he lied - that, even in Malaysia which is an overwhelming Muslim country, the Arabic inscription is absent. It was the graceful intervention of Mr. Ishaq Adams (a former Punch staff) who was then studying in Malaysia that corrected the false statistics Abati and his likes are fond of intimidating Nigerians with, by telling us that the Malaysian Ringgit carries Arabic inscriptions.

There is no end to this bigotry of CAN which presumably represents the Christians of this country. What the fear of CAN is regarding the Islamic banking is what is not clear. Is it the ‘danger’ that this might constitute to secularism? By the way, in whose interest is secularism? Or more appropriately, in whose interest is a financial system that ‘traps’ peoples’ funds and  keeps them away from their benefit by stating conditions that tell you to keep off, rather than stake all of one’s life earnings to access the funds. It is an irony of fate that each time issues of this nature come up, CAN and its ‘soldiers’ quickly invoke secularism, a phenomenon that emptied Christianity of almost all its vitality. Well, for those who could think deeply, it was actually not religion in the true sense of the word that the movement which gave birth to secularism fought, rather it was the irrationality of opposing something which is in agreement with common sense and which satisfies and clears the conscience. The Church fathers at the time had woven dogmas unintelligible to the common sense around Christianity, elevated them to divine status and forcefully bind people to it. I am afraid CAN could be re enacting that role today in its opposition to things generally and common- sensibly accepted as verifiable, if you will, universal truths.

Besides, provisions have been made in anticipation of this usual ‘fear’ of CAN by not restricting the non interest banking to those relating only to the Islamic principle. The Bible also prohibits usury, and I cannot count the number of leading scholars and renowned economists of our time including retired heads of global financial institutions such as the IMF and the World Bank calling for a reduction of the interest to zero! The CBN guidelines also accommodates a ‘Christianity Bank’ if you will and ‘is open to receiving and evaluating applications for licensing of non interest banking institutions not based on Islamic principles’. The CAN should stop embarrassing Nigerian Christians by presenting them as ‘dog in the manger’ who would not allow others to enjoy what he has no need for, or as a people who lack initiatives of divine origin.

Meanwhile as CAN continue to make noise all over the place, Stanbic IBTC, which already operate a similar scheme in South Africa is in the process of obtaining its own license for the Islamic variant of the non interest banking from the CBN. It is high time CAN was told that peace does not mean stifling another person’s progress or initiative, nor does tolerance mean a criminal condolence of an unhealthy status quo as the basis of current financial practices suggested. If every time CAN comes up with opposition to every move by Muslims for their own good and benefit, then, Muslims too would begin to suspect whether CAN is not pursuing the agenda of silently ‘Christianizing’ the country by its efforts to silence any ‘Islamic’ initiatives.


Our brother Shakiru holds an enviable degree in Philosophy, politics and Economics (PPE). He writes from Lagos, Ikorodu.