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Oh Men!!!

Awoyokun: Secularism, Adegbite and Sharia Banking
Monday, 27 June 2011 00:00 By Damola Awoyokun Opinion - Columnists


IN his piece “CBN and Sharia Banking” (The Guardian, June 16, 2011), Lateef Adegbite misunderstands the meaning of secularism. Nigeria is a secular nation not a multi-religious one. And it is precisely because of its secularism that makes its multi-religious character possible. Think of it this way: no Muslim would want a church to be built on a land they have consecrated to be their holy ground even though the church is also a holy place. And no Christian would want traditional worshippers to practise in their church. The space which made it possible to build churches, mosques, shrines in their respective places without infringing on the other’s holy grounds is the secular space. The more secular a space is, the easier for religions to coexist. A completely multi-religious setting guarantees that one religion is always infringing on the space of the other.

Another instance. On the parade ground in Borno state where I served, the NYSC PRO and the camp commandant were fond of calling a Christian from platoon 1 and a Muslim from platoon 2 to come out and lead prayer. I went to the camp office to confront them over this injustice. ‘What about people of traditional faith?’ I said. They burst out laughing at me. The following day, it was the turn of a Christian from platoon 3 and a Muslim from platoon 4. I walked calmly out and took the microphone. I was not even allowed to finish chanting my Oturupon Meji remix, when soldiers came bringing fiery blows and booted kicks. I was dragged by one leg from the podium, all across the parade ground and straight into the cell for the rest of the day.

The following morning, I was ready to do the same thing. However, my tenacity had begun to attract other adherents, Christians and Muslims alike to my ad-hoc faith/cause. The camp administration didn’t want to risk a full-scale religious uprising so they changed the format: instead of calling for a Christian from platoon 5 and Muslim from platoon 6 to lead the prayers, what we had was everyone should ‘bow down silently’ and pray to their respective Gods. Which of course is a victory for secularism: to bow down silently. For how many religions do you want to cater for at once if we want to be truly multi-religious?

All religions claim to have the sole truth. No holy book contains the mandate to respect or honour another religion otherwise that religion wouldn’t have existed in the first place. And so religious tolerance is a secular invention. So is religious liberty. Secularism is not atheism; it is just the condition where piety pertains to private subjective universe not a dominant reference in public space. It is the truce between all the competing or at times flagrantly contradictory claims of each religion on the public space. What Boko Haram and other religious extremists (both violent and peaceful) do is to defile that secular space and then arrogantly install their private opinions.

Granted we currently hate the banks and their greed for causing the world recession and the utter corruption amidst mass sufferings of the people, that doesn’t mean that the banks as a business is not a force for good, a force for economic development and progress. For to ride on the mass animosity towards banks and say you want to create banks that would not charge interests is to say you know how a market woman can sell her products at the same price she brought them. Her business will not last a week. However, we should be open to any banking experiment that claims it can honestly deliver interest free service without recourse to Ponzi scheme perfected so well by Bernard Madoff or rely on ‘investments’ (read: donations)from dubious middle eastern sources.

But the bigger stake is why as Islamic/Sharia bank? Would the proponents of this interest-free generosity to the people deliver the service without insisting on being so religiously painted? The answer is no. It goes to show they have other interests at heart that would violate the secular arena. It is ironical that Lateef Adegbite in defending the Islamic proposal recourse to several provisions in Nigeria’s secular constitution. But when in 2000 northern states adopted sharia in flagrant contravention of that constitution, Adegbite did not rise to defend the constitution. When Boko Haram strikes, or any part of Nigeria is inflamed by religious riots, Adegbite is always ready to condemn the violence, and insist of tolerance (a secular virtue but in actual fact a religious anomaly) and call Islam a religion of peace. But Adegbite is condemning violence and killings, he is not condemning the philosophy which the violent religious extremists are using violence and killings to implement. That is why when Zamfara adopted sharia and Kaduna followed suit leading to over 2000 dead, Adegbite condemned the violence but there is yet no evidence that he had asked those renegade states to go back to the minimal confines the Nigerian constitution reserved for it hitherto.

Contrary to his insinuations in his article, The Guardian and those who expressed reservations about the sharia-compliant banking are not religious bigots. When states were about to adopt sharia in 2000, they packaged it as an antidote to corruption and guarantor of crime-free existence. It is 11 years, has that happened? What has happened is sorrow, tears, thousands dead and many more maimed for life. When Nigeria hosted the Miss World beauty pageantry in 2002, Adegbite led the charge that the event would not happen. Reason: it was the holy month of Ramadan. An absurd excuse in a secular country. Sponsored riots then broke out in Abuja and Kaduna that made the pageantry flee to London. 217 corpses of innocents were still strewn on the streets of Kaduna when Adegbite declared: if we say we don’t want a programme we don’t want it. Yes, they don’t want the pageantry because it ‘violates’ the holy month but they didn’t think their murderous spree violates the holy month.

That is the person who is now ascribing religious bigotry to those who legitimately expressed reservations about this creeping Islamisation of the secular space amidst the never ceasing spectres of religious violence in the country. Like Pakistan, Adegbite, an indefatigable promoter of religious tolerance is playing both sides of the game. He is using his promotion of tolerance to ask others to comprise with abominations. And yet tolerance is not about tolerating the intolerant. Pakistan and Afghanistan arrived at where they are today because they tolerated the intolerant. The governor of Punjab the largest, richest and the most mixed state was gunned down by his own bodyguard in broad day light because he spoke out against the long pervasive influence of Islam in the constitution. When you have such abominations it is easy for the professional and career terrorists to invest in Pakistan building training camps and inviting the disgruntled from all over the world for some action.

India and Pakistan got independent the same day. India operates a secular constitution. Pakistan an Islamic one. India is emerging to be a global superpower while Pakistan is nowhere. All the money and international aid that supposed to go into education, health, agriculture, social development is now going into security because they had long since tolerated the intolerant.

No! Nigeria must not be made a safe haven for terrorists. That is why we must continue to insist on an increasing secularism of our consciousness and public space. All 12 states that had upgraded sharia must go back to the status quo ante. Nigeria has no business in the OIC. Arabic inscriptions should have no place on our currencies. Any bank that wants to give an interest free banking experience to its customers should do so under a secular umbrella. Adegbite claims falsely that: “USA, Japan, Germany, UK, France have been running Islamic Banks for decades” Even the Saudi Arabian central bank that supposed to be the most sharia-compliant in the world pays and receives interest rates on its currency and bond trades and even fixes interests rates for other Saudi banks. The Alahli that has several branches in the holiest cities of Mecca and Medina charges 22.8% on its credit cards. In the UK, the average rate is 15.5%. With Nigeria’s proposed sharia banking the numeral after 6 is more than 7.

• Awoyokun lives in London.

EzeUche!:
I just don't want to be in a country with the Ijaw. They are too warlike.

Neither should you be, for other minorities in the East, most of whom worked against you in the time of need

My Igbo brothers still don't get it that based on our history, you do not want to be in country with more than one language.

WTF!!!!!!!!

What 50 % of Cross River is Igbo? (more like 10%)
What 80 % of Rivers is Igbo? (more like 30%)

I dey laugh oh!!!!

Anyim, Obi, Okorocha hail Offor’s Foundation
By Nwanosike Onu 2 hours 8 minutes ago
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Secretary to the Government of the Federation Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State and his Imo State counterpart inability to pay Rochas Okorocha have hailed Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Sir Emeka Offor’s concern for the needy.

Sir Emeka Offor Foundation (SOEF),in collaboration with Books for Africa (BFA),USA distributed over one million books and educational materials to 30 universities in the country.

Over 100 secondary schools and 100 primary schools were given laptops and desktops worth over N900 million by the Foundation.

The distribution was done according to the six geo-political zones, with each benefiting school fully represented on the occasion at the Oraifite Town Hall in Ekwusigo Local Government of Anambra State at the weekend.

Director- General of the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Paul Orhii; former Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), Ernest Ndukwe; Primate of the Anglican Communion, Rev. Peter Akinola, among others, attended the event.

Anyim said the distribution of the books would afford the children the opportunity of imbibing a reading culture.

Okorocha said that life is useless without providing for the needy.

He said: “Any rich man, whose wealth does not go round is a poor man and this is the reason why I am here today.”

Obi hailed Offor’s gesture and urged the people to support the less privileged in the society.

http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/10592-anyim%2C-obi%2C-okorocha-hail-offor%E2%80%99s-foundation.html

And Mutallab too is not a suicide bomber?

Amateur or not:
That is what he claimed not the reality. If he had succeeded and killed people you wont be here defending him.

My target was Chris Oyakhilome —Lagos Bomber
Cover StoriesJan 7, 2010


SEYI Olayiwola Ahmed, the man who attempted to blow up the Superscreen TV on December 22, 2009
By Albert Akpor & Evelyn Usman




LAGOS — SEYI Olayiwola Ahmed, the man who attempted to blow up the Superscreen TV on December 22, 2009, yesterday, on his sick bed at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, said his intention was not to hurt anybody, not even staff of the Superscreen TV, but to draw the attention of Pastor Chris Oyakhilome of the Believers’ Loveworld Church better known as the Christ Embassy.
The 30 year-old Oyo State-born film producer and father of one, said he manufactured the explosives himself having learnt it on the internet. He claimed that he had been working for the church for some time now adding that the last job he did was not paid for and that his intention was to actually get the attention of the pastor for financial assistance.
Ahmed said: “I am somebody who learnt things by intuition, and so I was always browsing the net and because I have special interest in explosive I learnt how to make them.

I actually made three explosives, it was the smallest one that exploded at Logemo House and got me injured. Like I said, I was in a financial mess after the lady in one of the branches terminated my contract with them. The church did not even pay me for the one we did earlier for them let alone the latest.
So I was frustrated and wanted something to do to feed my family. My mission at the Superscreen was to ask how much they pay for the shooting of soap operas and other things and not to hurt anybody.
But it happened that the man I met said the person who was in a position to give me some of the information was at the seventh floor. It was when I was going up that the explosive went off, ”
Regretting his action, the failed bomber who spoke flawless English Language quoted some scriptures like “touch not my anointed and do my prophet no harm.”
The incident which prompted yesterday’s confession, began, December 22, 2009, following an explosion on the fourth floor of the a nine-storey building at Onipanu along Ikorodu express road, where the bomb carrier was affected.
The explosives which was neatly wrapped as Christmas gift, was taken to Superscreen Television, on the ninth floor of the building when it exploded mid way, rocking the entire area.

At first, no one could give detailed account of the exact cause of the explosion, as there were varying accounts as to how the explosive got to the building.
But the following day, the Lagos Police Command boss, Mr. Marvel Akpoyibo, told anxious journalists that the victim of the blast was actually the messenger, adding that two additional explosives detonated by policemen from the Bomb Disposal Unit, were also discovered at the scene of the blast.
Salient issues

Although Akpoyibo was silent on other salient issues concerning the explosion, he, however, promised to do so at the appropriate time, noting that when the suspect’s abode, which he failed to disclose for what he described as security reasons, was searched, more items that aided the command’s investigation were discovered.
Vanguard, however, learnt that the suspect lived at the Fola Agoro area of Shomolu, where he occupied a room apartment on the ground floor of the two-storey building. He wife also was said to have hurriedly left the house, holding two polythene bags and a sac, with a baby strapped to her back two days before the incident.
After the incident, security measures such as rigorous search of visitors into any of the companies in Logemo house was carried out. Vanguard gathered that the incident prompted the rejection of wrapped Christmas gifts from unknown persons, particularly by Supercreen Television staff.

Meanwhile at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital where the 30-year-old Olayinwola Ahmed was initially admitted at the intensive care unit, security was tightened as only designated doctors were allowed to attend to him.
Some police nurses were also detailed to take care of him and also kept an eye on any visitor that requested to see him. Unfortunately there was reportedly none, until last weekend when two visitors who came visiting bolted away before nurses could alert plain clothes policemen.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/01/07/my-target-was-chris-oyakhilome-%E2%80%94lagos-bomber/

Anxiety over whereabouts of alleged parcel bomber
By CHRISTOPHER OJI
Thursday, January 07, 2010


More Stories on This Section
Family members of a suspected parcel bomber Olayiwola Ahmed who was arrested by the police for allegedly bombing television house, Super Screen, Onipanu Lagos are worried over his whereabouts.
Olayiwola, 27 was alleged to have on Tuesday December 22 2009 at about 2.00 p.m carried materials suspected to be Improvised Explosive Device (IED). The materials neatly wrapped in a Christmas gift-pack went off in the hands of the young man.

However, police source hinted Daily Sun that the were in full custody of the suspect.

A family source told Daily Sun that the relatives have been afraid over the where about of the suspect.

The family source who spoke to Daily Sun on anonymity said “we have been kept in the dark by the police over the where-about of our son or the findings on who sent him. We have searched all the hospitals and police cell and we don’t know where he is or whether he is dead or alive.”

A police source said though the force have moved the suspect from the initial hospital where he was being treated to another one “but I assure you, the man has fully recovered and he had confessed who sent him and his target. We are keeping silent over our investigation because, releasing information about him will jeopadize investigation and those who have some questions to answer will run away.”

However, when contacted, the state police spokesman, Mr Frank Mba said the case was still being investigated.
Mba said “we are on top of the situation. The man is alive. He is okay and we will soon address the press after concluding our investigation.”

Is that really the first suicide bomber? What about the Oyo guy who tried to bomb a church last year?

Ife and Modakeke in Igboland? lol

~Bluetooth:
Lwkmd

So an ibo man who lives in the north and is also a muslim is no longer an ibo man abi ? Maybe all those ibos in Lagos are
not to be seen as ibo but Yorubas too ! See how daft you are !

Mumu
Sharia Bank is for muslims, irrespective of tribe.
Did that[b] Igbo [/b]man invest in the bank because he is [b]Igbo [/b]or because he is muslim? Why not show me one non-muslim among the investors in the link

You be proper aturu (sheep).

RICHIE BOI:
@Zno, wheres the source to this fake story? Common!! You expect me to waste time reading that crap you posted up there?  .

Hahaha!! My dear German copy cat.
Guten Abend

And they want Sharia aka Boko Haram bank? I dey laugh oh!!!

~Bluetooth:
Isn't it weird that an ibo man is supporting such when he knows that his kinsmen in iboland won't support Islamic banking ? As for your info,there is no big deal if Adegbite supported it cuz a lot of Yoruba Muslim will actually support it.so worry about your okoro brother.olodo

That Igbo man happens to be a muslim who lives in northern nigeria with no presence in igboland? So what?

at any rate we assume that if people write anambra on their jamb form they are igbo .they may not be

Not so fast, dude:
Why would anyone not from Igboland claim Anambra (or other Igbo states) for university admission purposes when no Igbo state is considered educationally disadvantaged and are, in fact, cheated of federal funding?

Also, provide data on the university drop-out rate that you so easily allude to.

You are a self-denying tribalist. Today you have met me in your match.

aribisala0:
at any rate we assume that if people write anambra on their jamb form they are igbo .they may not be

And those who claim Ondo/Oyo/Ekiti/Osun/Ogun are Ondo/Oyo?
But those who claim Igbo may not be.

Hhahahahahah! You are deep in shyte, I swear.

Where is the university drop-out rate data?
Show me that data

Of what use is primary and secondary education in Nigeria (or anywhere for that matter) if you do not use it for further studies?

Your ministry of education data is mainly on primary and secondary, not so? We are talking about higher education. Mumu.

aribisala0:
actually i do not see the facts favouring anyone. you look for the igbo angle i see a high drop out rate that is a more important observation.

Igbo has high drop-out rate how?
Compare actual admission (not application) with graduation, but you have no data for graduation; so where is dropping out coming from? Men this guy na real agutan (sheep)

Again, not all who apply are admitted due to limited space: How many times do I have to repeat that?
If you apply and not admitted, how is that drop-out?

aribisala0:
who is we and you i do not represent anyone. you are the tribal champpion. i am taking issue with you personally and the rubbish you are writing .if you really want to make any victory claims these data are the wrong tool.

self-report survey i assume you know what that is

NYSC and JAMB info are true data from facts, not self-report survey as is the case with most of the other data in your link.
You do not engage in tribalism but you are here arguing against facts because they do not favor your ethnic group? Na waoh! I see you attended Ijebu jesha university. lol

sandwich proramme,part-time distance learning

lol

Now you are clutching at straw, really.

Anyways, what is the overall measure of education and claims to it thereof? It is the literacy level (before you begin to break it down to its components). Do we, or do we not beat you there?
The only place you made an impact is in the college of education data. But we know that few NIGERIANS want to be teachers.

aribisala0:
sandwich proramme,part-time distance learning

you think NYSC BUDGET is unlimited
you beat me? you are mistakin me for someone else i dont do the we versus you thing.

again you are quite daft.that data is based on self-report survey i assume you know what that is.

but i am not doing the competition thing anyway.

Olodo:
NYSC and JAMB admission data are based on self-report survey? You mean those offices do not have direct first-hand data of their activities? Did you look at the source of the data that you posted? You are a bigger fo-ol than I thought. You are the one who posted the link, not me. And, yes, I beat you now, as always.

You have overall data on literacy level which covers:
Uni, poly, secondary, primary, distance, adult, normadic etc, education and we beat you there. So case closed

Any school where they do not serve (NYSC) after graduation is not in reckoning in naija. Check all job adverts: the requirement after the main degree is usually NYSC or reason not to attend. (exemption, usually age-based)
Eh!! So na unrecognized,second-grade schools una dey go now?lol

We have passed admission, now it is graduation.

Now you are shifting the goal post. First it was NYSC now it is some do not serve. Hhahahah

Agree first with the info at hand, then we can dig into other variables.

Do you have data for overall foreign university graduates?

Where I studied, Igbos are by far in number