₦airaland Forum

Muslim youths in Ekiti state have risen against the planned purchase and sewing of Christmas clothes for 20,000 children in the state by Governor Ayo Fayose describing the gesture as a ploy to elevate one religion over another.

The youth under the aegis of the National Council of Muslim Youth Organisations (NACOMYO), described the act as “unacceptable and a breach of Section 10 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).”

Quoting from the section, NACOMYO said, “the Government of the Federation or of a state shall not adopt any religion as state religion" adding that the Christmas clothes for kids project was meant to promote Christianity as a religion."

The group noted in a statement by its coordinator in the state, Alhaji Tajudeen Olutope Ahmed, on Monday in Ado Ekiti that inasmuch as the group was not against any form of child welfare or development, it was worried that “our commonwealth as a state is being used to promote a particular religion and to placate the subscribers of the religion.”

It was gathered from an independent source that the project would gulp about N200 million. Fayose had during a broadcast on radio and television asked parents to bring their children to the Government House for measurement by about 200 local tailors already recruited for the project .

NACOMYO added that just as Christians look forward to Christmas and New Year, Muslims also look forward to festivals like id-el-maulud or id-el-fitri adding, “as the governor of all, he is expected to patronize both Christians and Muslims in equal measure.”

NACOMYO said further: “It is on the basis of the above that we hereby call on Governor Fayose to suspend his planned celebration of Christians and Christianity during the forthcoming Yuletide period.

“In the alternative, if the governor is determined to go ahead with his planned provision of Christmas dresses, he should disclose the budget for the dresses to the public and be ready to expend the same amount during the forthcoming Muslim festival. This is the justice of the matter.

They cautioned against using the state's resources for the patronage of only a section or religion, saying it was the responsibility of every parent to to provide dresses for their children and not government.

The statement added, “Ekiti State government should be more concerned about fulfilling her duty under the law, which includes that of prompt and adequate payment of staff salaries. In this way, parents will be able to make adequate care and provision for their children.”

Giving reason for the project, the governor had insisted that he conceived the idea to give Ekiti children between one and 10 years a sense of belonging and cater for the needs of the less privileged kids.

Assorted local fabrics of Ankara, Guinea and Kampala among others had been purchased by the governor and made available to the local tailors for the exercise.

Fayose said that every tier of government must endeavour to concretely cater for the needs of children, especially children of the less privileged.

Speaking at the official flag off of the distribution of the Yuletide clothes to the beneficiaries on Sunday evening at the Government House, Fayose also urged the kids to urge their parents to support his anointed candidate for the 2018 governorship poll, Deputy Governor Kolapo Olusola.

Fayose said: “As a government, we must be seen to be caring, not by mere saying it but by practice. Part of our duty is to give our kids a sense of belonging.

“We are bound to provide some happiness for them at a yuletide such as this. We are providing Christmas clothing for over 20,000 of our kids. We will raise it to 100,000 by next year as I am very sure the next governor will come from my party PDP."

seunmsg:
There won't be any PDP to come back to after 2019 election.

A new wave of crisis is brewing at the Senate over the rejection of the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu.

The crisis, our correspondent report has torn the leadership of the Senate apart with factions taking varied position on the matter.

The Senate had last Thursday rejected Magu following a report by the Department of State Services (DSS) signed by one Folashade Bello for the Director-General, Lawal Daura.

The Senate Leader, Ali Ndume had after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Villa on Monday, punctured the Senate’s position, saying Magu was not rejected.

The position of Ndume forced the spokesperson of the Senate, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (APC, Niger) to address newsmen yesterday where he emphasised the rejection of Magu.

Sabi said “Following the security report on EFCC chairman, the Senate decided not to confirm the chairman and communicate same to Mr. President, while those of the others was reported or forwarded. The Senate also decided to refer the other nominees to the anti-corruption committee for screening since there was no adverse security report on them.

“The position of the Senate as stated by me remains the position of the Senate and I have nothing more to add. So please we want the media to be guided in all of this.”

But reacting in a phone interview, Ndume said his position was clear and insisted that Magu has not been rejected.

Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari and Senate President Bukola Saraki yesterday met behind closed-doors at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja.

The meeting, which was held inside the president’s office, lasted about one hour. Though the Senate president did not speak to State House correspondents after the meeting, our correspondent gathered that Buhari and Saraki discussed the refusal by the Senate to confirm the nomination of Ibrahim Magu as chairman of EFCC.

Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai on Thursday stated that Nigerians were not being charitable for accusing President Muhammadu Buhari's administration of having impoverished them.

The governor was fielding questions from State House correspondents after a meeting of the National Economic Council presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

He stated: "I have said we inherited a governmental structure that was based on the assumption that price of oil will remain $100 per barrel. By the time we took over, prices reduced to as low as $26 per barrel. 80% of government revenue depends on the price of oil and the quantity of oil sold.

"You must expect a cut in your consumption if the price collapses. If in your own household, your salary is slashed by 80 percent, what will you do? This is what Nigeria is going through. Our revenues have collapsed by about 40% to 60% if you compare it to say 2014.

"This collapse happened because there is a reduction in price of oil. Secondly, we were producing over two million barrels of oil per day but because of the situation in the Niger Delta, we are now producing about 1.1million barrels per day.

"It is therefore inevitable that there will be cut and pain. But to say that it is government that is doing it without referring to the cause, it is not fair."