MURIC urges CAN to stop blackmailing Buhari over suspension of SGF, NIA DG

A non-governmental organization, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has critised the Christians Association of Nigeria (CAN), for accusing President Muhammadu Buhari of suspending the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal because he is a Christian.
MURIC asked: “At what point exactly did the SGF become a Christian? Was it just yesterday?”
The Muslim rights group said this in a statement issued by its Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
The NGO, in the statement, said, “President Buhari recently suspended the Secretary to the Federal Government (SGF) David Babachir Lawal and the Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) on allegations of sharp practices and violation of due process.
“CAN immediately cried foul. The umbrella Christian body, speaking through the president of its Northern youth wing, Daniel David Kadzai, accused Buhari of suspending the duo simply for being Christians and not because of any allegation of graft. The parent body has not denied this statement.
“We of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) take exception to CAN’s allegation against Buhari. It is false, baseless and malicious. CAN’s allegation is short in modesty, long in indecency”, the NGO said.
The MURIC urged CAN to recall that since the grass-cutting scandal broke out since October 2016, Nigerians have since been clamouring for the sack of the SGF.
The NGO pointed out that Buhari, who is known for his zero tolerance for corruption, still allowed the SGF to continue in office for good eight months after the scandal broke out in spite of the avalanche of criticisms.
The President, MURIC said, gave the SGF the benefit of the doubt while discreet investigation continued, adding that he even went out of its way to declare the SGF innocent in a letter to Senate.
President Buhari, it pointed out, was only constrained to act after indubitable proof of impropriety was provided.
“It is therefore the height of ingratitude and the climax of impudence for CAN to turn round to accuse Buhari of suspending the SGF because he is a Christian. Why does CAN love blackmail so much? At what point exactly did the SGF become a Christian? Was it just yesterday?, it asked.
Continuing, MURIC said, “was he not a Christian when Buhari deemed it fit to appoint him? Was he not a Christian when Buhari defended him before the Senate? Was he not a Christian when Buhari retained him in office for eight good months while Nigerians rained all sorts of abuses at the president for not sacking his ‘corrupt’ SGF?
“Ditto for the DG of the NIA, Ayo Oke. Whereas it is customary for newly sworn-in presidents to appoint their own men to strategic positions, President Buhari magnanimously retained ex-President Jonathan’s men and many of them are still in office to date. Ayo Oke was one of them and we doubt if anything would have happened to him if the $43 million cash haul in the Ikoyi luxury apartment had not occurred.
“Equally nauseating is the statement credited to one Suleiman who claims to be the son of Babachir Lawal. He alleged that his father was removed because he was a Christian. This may be understandingly infantile. We may ask him, nonetheless: did Jonathan appoint Ayo Oke as DG of NIA because he was a Christian or because he merited the post?
MURIC therefore called the attention of patriotic Nigerians to the antics of the leadership of Nigerian Christians: blackmail, arm-twisting, bad faith and ill-will.
It asked: How can any Nigerian leader function effectively in this kind of atmosphere unless he is a Christian? The rough-tackles begin the moment a Muslim becomes president.
MURIC warned therefore that this must not be allowed to go on, stressing that CAN is using religion to promote mediocrity and sheltering corrupt Christians in public office.
MURIC added, “The amount of money involved in the grass-cutting scam (N220 million) was for weeding the camps of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) in the North East. Is it not disgraceful for any public official to add salt to the injuries suffered by the IDPs?
“In the case of the DG of NIA, the amount involved is a staggering $43 million. This money alone is enough to electrify the whole South West of Nigeria. This money belongs to all of us. Not to Muslims alone. Not to Christians alone.
“It is our commonwealth for crying out loud and somebody is playing pranks with it. But CAN seems to be telling Buhari to “keep off, this is a Christian affair. Touch not my anointed!…” or something that sounds like it,”, it posited.