₦airaland Forum

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has criticised the Federal Government and the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) for not providing free train rides to Muslims during the Eid-el-Kabir celebrations, alleging discriminatory treatment compared to similar provisions made for Christians during Christmas.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the organisation’s Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, described the disparity as a reflection of broader marginalisation faced by Muslims in the country, even though the current administration is led by politicians of the Islamic faith.

“A strange scenario is currently playing out in the Nigerian socio-cultural landscape,” Akintola said. “Whereas the Federal Government offered free train rides during Christmas, it has maintained a pregnant silence on whether the same handout will be offered during this Salah.”

According to MURIC, not only were train rides provided free of charge during the Christmas period, but the gesture was also extended for over two weeks into January 2025. In contrast, for the Salah period, the NRC has only announced an extension of train services—services which remain paid.

“This extension cannot even scratch the surface. Neither is it comparable to the over-pampering luxury of the Christmas period,” Akintola stated. “As part of its corporate social responsibility to Nigerians, MURIC has a duty to interrogate the performance of government in this area. We note that there is gross disparity and astounding imbalance in the manner free train rides are declared for Christmas, whereas Salah attracts no dividends of democracy.”

Akintola further questioned the motives behind the policy difference, suggesting it reflects deeper systemic inequality in how religious groups are treated.

“Is free train meant for Christians alone? Who is in control of this government? Are Muslims really being carried along? Are we on a wild goose chase?” he asked.
“FG appears to be drumming it into the ears of Nigerian Muslims that equal rights in Nigeria is an illusion, a myth, a mirage.
“It appears that all religions are equal in Nigeria, but Christianity is more equal than any other faith. We have been politically marginalised, economically shortchanged and socially ostracised. We have a Muslim president on a Muslim-Muslim ticket yet we cannot enjoy the same social infrastructural facility that Christians are given on a platter of gold.”

MURIC called for a review of Nigeria’s public policies and practices, particularly those inherited from colonial structures, which it argued continue to favour Christian customs.

“We therefore demand a total and categorical overhauling of all religious matters like our weekend system, seasonal holidays, etc, that were fixed and skewed pro-Christian by the colonial master. We should have reviewed all these immediately after independence in 1960,” the group said.

While acknowledging the government’s powers to determine public policy, Akintola warned against what he described as executive insensitivity. “If this is an oversight, we demand an apology from FG. If it is deliberate and official arrogance and an exhibition of executive impunity, we will assume that the government is merely flexing its muscles.”

MURIC called for constitutional reforms and a rational reassessment of religious equality in public services, asserting that the current imbalance is untenable in a pluralistic society.

Bestwt001:
It's really understandable why MURIC is upset about the train rides. When you see free rides for Christmas but not for Eid, it absolutely feels like a double standard. Professor Akintola makes a strong point about fairness, and it's especially jarring when the government is led by Muslims.
This isn't just about train tickets; it's about feeling equally valued in your own country. The government really needs to explain this disparity or, better yet, fix it to show all Nigerians that they're treated with the same respect and consideration.