IBADAN (SUNDIATA POST)- The Muslim Ummah of South-West Nigeria (MUSWEN) has urged Nigerians planning a nationwide protest to be more patient with the government, shelve the idea and embrace peaceful dialogue.
MUSWEN President, Alhaji Rasaki Oladejo, gave the advice in a statement issued and made available to newsmen on Saturday in Ibadan.
Oladejo says MUSWEN, as an umbrella body for the Muslim communities in the South-West, believes in mutual consultation, dialogue and peaceful resolution of any national issue.
He said this was in line with Islamic dictates as contained in the Holy Qur’an.
“MUSWEN implores those behind the proposed national protest over the current economic hardship in Nigeria to realise that such action may be hijacked by some unpatriotic elements, thus making it violent and destructive.
“It must be pointed out here that no matter how peaceful a protest might be in Nigeria, hoodlums and miscreants usually participate in it – thus turning the whole exercise into uncontrollable and destructive crises,” Oladejo said.
According to him, the protest will only worsen the already bad situation it seeks to correct and may also lead to the destruction of lives and property.
He said while MUSWEN believed in the freedom of citizens and groups to protest, such must follow its decorum.
He, however, said the current situation in the country did not call for protest.
“MUSWEN, therefore, calls on those aggrieved and have better ideas on how to move the nation forward to be patriotic enough to share such noble ideas with those in the helms of affairs and give them more time to implement such.
“The Muslim Ummah also counsel the government of the day to listen to the yearnings of the public and put machinery in motion to address all their concerns as soon as practicable,” he said.
He expressed the body’s prayer for the peace, unity and prosperity of the country. (NAN)