A rights group, Save Nigeria Movement (SNM), a famous Civil Society Organisation (CSO) in Nigeria has condemned in strong terms a video in which an acclaimed Islamic cleric is seeing attacking Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu by over the hardship experienced in the country.
In a video which has already gone viral on the internet, an unnamed man simply identified as an Islamic cleric was heard calling the President’s wife an infidel and insinuating that she should be killed according to the Shariah law because she is a Christian and pastor.
The cleric also criticised the Muslim/Muslim ticket that secured President Bola Tinubu’s election victory as fraudulent, adding that Oluremi Tinubu should be condemned to death for her role as a pastor.
But in a strong worded press release made available to journalists in Abuja by its Convener, Rev. Solomon Semaka, SNM condemned in strong terms such unguarded and primitive utterances and warned those trying to weaponize Nigeria’s current economic challenges using religion, politics and tribal sentiments to desist forthwith.
Excerpts, “while we question the logic of the so-called cleric and can’t seem to make any coherent connection between Senator Oluremi Tinubu, her being a pastor, the Muslim/Muslim ticket and why she should be killed because she’s an infidel, intelligence available to us points to the fact that Mr. President is the target here. This is highly condemnable and Nigerians while advocating for a better country do not support such sinister plots aimed at destabilizing the nation in this critical times of our nations trajectory to Stability and growth.
Rev Semaka however opined that the current situation was a combination of many years of mismanagement of critical sectors of the economy such as the exchange rates, poor commodity pricing regime and the persistent non metering system adopted in the sales of our crude oil. Advising president Tinubu to consider metering the sales of our crude oil to block leakages and boost foreign exchange earnings. This is the only way to have enough foreign exchange earnings to defend the naira.
“We, therefore, condemn in strong and unequivocal terms those hiding under religion and tribal sentiments to foment trouble and destabilise the efforts currently underway to address the country’s challenges. We don’t know the motive behind the video and the calls for the killing of President’s wife but we condemn it in totality. It is not just barbaric but never part of Islamic teachings and Nigerians must not allow a misguided fanatic to set the nation on fire with his unfounded and urreligious utterances”.
The CSO cautioned Nigerians at this critical time to mind their utterances and public statements to guard against “inciting people against and causing public disturbance as efforts are believed to be in top gear to address the obvious but surmountable challenges Nigerians are facing by the administration. We cannot afford any breakdown of law and order at this material time. Government needs all the concentration and focus it can ganner to pull us out of our current situation for our collective good”
The CSO equally decried the rising spate of tribal skirmishes and tensions currently going on across the country especially in the south with flash points in Lagos and called for tolerance, unity of purpose and unalloyed loyalty to the nation to enable Mr President deliver on his Renewed Hope Agenda.
“We patriotically call on peace lovers and leaders across board to condemn the video purportedly released by the said Imam. Religious leaders cannot afford to abuse their sacred callings now that citizens needs to be praying for the nation’s stability. The President’s wife is not the only Nigerian female pastor and her religion has nothing to do with the situation in the country, trying to demonise her for no justifiable reason is simply a ruse to get at President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Nigerians cannot accept that.
“It is equally sad that instead of uniting to overcome the challenges that we face as a people, some persons have taken to stirring ethnic rivalry and tensions across the country. The situation in Lagos is particularly worrisome and disturbing. Our security agencies and all peace lovers must stand up to fight the ills trying to weaken our collective resolve and hope in the current administration to a standstill”, the statement concluded.