BEING A WELCOME ADDRESS DELIVERED BY THE 34TH NATIONAL PRESIDENT OF THE MUSLIM STUDENTS’ SOCIETY OF NIGERIA, MALLAM ABDULAZEEZ SIRAJUDEEN FOLAYEMI, AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE NATIONAL HIGHER INSTITUTION CONVENTION OF MUSLIM STUDENTS WITH THE THEME: “PEOPLE OF FAITH, LEARNING AND COURAGE HELD AT THE MAIN AUDITORIUM UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN, ILORIN KWARA STATE. ON 15TH, MUHARAM 1436 AH (8TH NOVEMBER, 2014). INTRODUCTION In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. All praise and gratitude is due to Allah, the Lord of incomparable majesty. May His choicest blessing be upon the gentle soul of the greatest man that ever lived, Muhammad Mustapha, his companions and those who continue to follow his foot step till a day when wealth and kin will not be of any benefit except he that comes with a submissive soul to the will of Allah. NATIONAL HIGHER INSTITUTION CONVENTION OF MUSLIM STUDENTS Permit me to welcome everybody here seated to this blessed gathering. National Higher Institution convention of Muslim Students provides a moment when Muslim students in higher institutions of learning in the country come together not only to strengthen the Islamic fraternity and brotherhood within them, but also to showcase their stake and concern as it affects the educational sector of this great country Nigeria. This programme could have not come at a better time than now when Nigeria educational sector is at a verge. From the epileptic industrial action by the various workers union in the tertiary institution which has caused serious disruption to educational activities in our tertiary institution, to mass failure of students in all institutions of learning, education which is supposed to be a God given right to all citizen is almost becoming reserved for the rich class, in our country today the best education is only affordable to the children of the aristocrats. The situation of the Nigerian education sector has continued to be a source of psychological trauma to the Nigerian Muslim students not only because of dilapidated infrastructure in our institutions but also lack of facilities to make the teaching and learning process effective. Cheating and examination malpractices are almost becoming a norm in our schools. This has not only eroded the dignity of labour in education but has greatly reduced the quality and value of Nigerian educational certificates The theme of the convention was carefully selected to arouse the Muslim students to the perquisite of learning and being courageous in the present dispensation especially in the face of educational sector which poses threat to their Islamic profession and practice. OUR SOCIETY MSSN The Muslim students’ society of Nigeria also known as MSSN is the apex body representing the interest of Muslims studying in all formal and non-formal education settings in Nigeria and abroad. Our membership cut across all facets of human endeavours, from secondary school to post graduate students, artisans and professionals who belief and are ready to work with the aims and objectives of this grate and blessed society. The society as a child of necessity was established on 18th April 1954 in response to the yearning of Muslim Students for a platform to discuss and find solutions to their common problems and challenges. Muslims who wants to access western education had to do that in a hostile colonial and evangelical environment which is then prevalent in the country. Permit me to say that six decades after its formation, has metamorphosed from being a society into an ideology which has influenced the course of events not only in the most populous black nation but in the world at large. It has since grown in leaps and bounds to be the largest organisation (religious or otherwise) not only in Nigeria but in Africa, Europe and North America with millions as active members while some other millions are sympathisers. Brothers and sisters, distinguished personalities here seated, the contributions of MSSN to National development are enormous and these include serving as a potent tool of national unity and cohesion. Apart from all its members that cut across geographical and ethnic barriers, the society has raised a new generation across the nation and the world at large whose fraternity is based on faith in Allah and not tribe or race. MSSN as a powerful force is promoting national integration and removing ethnic barriers through its programmes and activities that emphasize the values and brotherhood of Islam in particular and unity of mankind in general. The programmes of this great society are geared towards giving a proper orientation to the future leaders and this effort has continued to produce generations of outstanding leaders that have contributed immensely to our national life. The society has remained a pressure group working for not only bringing the Muslims in closer union and inculcating in them true Islamic spirit and faith in Allah, but also promoting and defending the general welfare of the masses as well as defending their fundamental human rights in our country. THE STATE OF THE NATION We want to use this medium to once again call on all the stake holders to come to the rescue of this nation. Nigeria is at the verge of collapse. It is no more a selling news that terrorism is on the rampage taking over our land on daily bases; insurgency, kidnapping, killing, assassination and armed robbery are almost becoming a norm in a once peaceful country. The present generation of the Muslim students were born at a time when people freely lived and aspire for posterity in any part of this country. People freely MOVED AND settled down in any part of this nation when we were young but today the reverse is the case. There is fear in our land; people no longer sleep with their two eyes closed. Families that have settled down in different part of the nation are forced to retrace their places of origin, insurgency is taking over our lands, subjecting even indigenes to traumatic situations and holding them hostages in their home towns. Nigerians are been slaughtered in their hundreds on daily basis in the north. And to worsen the case those who are charged with the cardinal responsibility of guarding and protecting the unity and soveregnity of the Nation are been accused of committing genocide in the name of fighting terrorists. We want to reiterate that Mr President should address the nation on why the nation is under siege by the terrorist. Why has the insurgency continued to beat the nation’s military arsenals, why is it for the first time Nigerian soldiers that have been celebrated for successful peace keeping mission in many African countries are now rebellious and some have to be sentenced to death, why are these unfortunate warriors been tried secretly for God’s sake are Nigerians not qualified to know and appreciate the process of founding them guilty of rebellion to the Nation that earned them death. The Muslim students demand that Mr President should address this nation on why the terrorist have become stronger even almost a year when some states in the north east have come under partial emergency rule. The Muslim students in this country are interested in knowing the process that lead to the cease fire deal with the boko haram and what lead to the breakdown of the accord. Mr President should address the nation on these cardinal questions because the millions of the Muslim students in Nigeria and the diaspora are fast losing confidence in the sincerity of his administration at fighting the insurgence and guaranteeing the safety of Nigerian lives and property. THE RETURN OF SCHOOLS TO THE MISSIONERS MSSN wishes to categorically reject the call to return schools to their so called original owners. We say without the fear of criticism that this call is dubious, callous, fraudulent and a calculated attempt to further deny the Muslim children free access to qualitative education in an atmosphere of religious freedom. We have been on this campaign for quite some time now and we are disappointed that this shameless and fraudulent call has taken another dimension. The Christians in this country as lead by CAN has smuggled the idea into the final report of the just concluded national conference. We are not surprised by this development because of the antecedence of the Nigerian Christians but, we are made bold to say that, the Nigerian Muslim Students will not close their eyes and allow the implementation of this devilish script. All our fathers who are now elder statesmen who had the opportunity to attend the formal schools in the early forties and fifties would bear us witness that a call for return of schools to the missionaries it is a call to systematically Christianise the Muslim child. Anybody who knows the history of education in Nigeria and the adventure of the Muslim child in his quest for formal education which was then in the custody of the Christian evangelists would agree that this period can best be described as a dark period in the history of education and development in our dear Nation. During this sad and unfortunate period, the Muslim child either chooses his religion or western education if he wants to access formal education. Consequently brilliant and talented young Muslims who could have contributed positively to the development of Nigeria were denied access to qualitative education because of religious bigotry. We in MSSN are calling on our parents to stand by us and reject this devilish call which will not only traumatize our younger ones but will threaten their future and that of Al-Islam. WHEN WILL THE CHIBOK GIRLS RETURN The Chibok girls were abducted in April this year and as at now the innocent girls are still in the custody of the terrorists and to worsen the case, more people are been abducted on daily bases. The question on the leaps of the millions of the Muslim students is when will these girls be reunited with their parents, we hope these girls have not been left to their fate, the way the Nigerian security apparatus is been mobilized for election as can be attested to in the Ekiti and Osun governorship election leaves no doubt in us that the fight for the rescue of the chibok girls have been abandoned for election. We are asking what is the crime of these innocent girls? Why will Nigeria allow them to suffer a crime they have not committed? We hope they are not just victims of a dangerous political drama aimed at ensuring the continuous dominance of a political class in this nation. We hope they have not been abandoned because they are from the North and most importantly Muslim dominated north east. Our greatest disappointment is in the shameless mobilization of the ignorant masses in this country for the return of this present administration. Have Nigerians quickly forgotten that for the first time in the history of this country over 230 girls were abducted and are still in the custody of the terrorists? Don’t we think that our mobilization should be directed towards the return of these future mothers?. Our prayer is that Nigerians and most importantly those who are passionate about the prosperity of the Nigerian girls should reawaken the call for the release of the abducted girls. The present administration should be forced to reactivate the move towards the release of our dear girls who have been denied access to their loved ones for about six months and are almost forgotten because of the selfish political interest of the political gladiators. ARISE O MUSLIM STUDENTS Muslim students arise, the hope and future of the Nigerian Muslims stand up and salvage this country from total collapse. We should stand up courageously and wrestle power from those ruling us recklessly. We should be bold to tell those who are traumatising and threating our future that come 2015 we will vote them out. We should not vote for any government or political parties that will not allow our sisters to freely use hijab in schools funded and maintained by their father’s tax. We should send parking government or political parties that are willing to dubiously hand over public schools to the Christian missionaries and return us to the dark colonial and dangerous evangelical period. We should politically reject and condemn in its totality the call, move or actions by individuals or group aimed at ensuring that public schools are fraudulently handed over to the church. We should vote out those that have strategically denied our younger ones the learning of the Islamic language and the study of the Islamic faith in public schools. They have continuously traumatised and humiliate our younger ones because of their dominance in the political field. Muslim students in Nigeria arise and vote these enemies of your future prosperity out of power in Nigeria. These are people who strangulated our forefathers politically, they made our fathers serve them, we the children are already their servant, progressive Muslim students we must raise up and stop their monopoly of so that our children will not fall into our predicament. Stand up and vote out those who have stigmatised and demonised you and are killing your brethren in the country and your future will be guaranteed. Muslim students at home and in the diaspora, in order to achieve this inevitable task, we must embark on aggressive participation in the electioneering process. We must ensure we actively participate in the continuous voters registration. Our target is 20 million votes. We want to have 20 million votes in our custody and with this inshallah we will be able to negotiate our future. We want to call on our fathers and all Muslim youth organizations in the country to join us in this operation. We must rescue our future from these enemies of the Muslim child who are determined to change our faith and identity. We must not give up and Allah will give us victory. APPRECIATION Once again we welcome you to this great gathering. We are happy that you have joined us in discussing how to learn with courage and faith, Your presence at this event has raised our hope that the Muslim students are not ophans, your association with us has raised our courage and we are more recharged to serve Islam the more. We sincerely appreciate every one of you for making today a reality. We say it’s only Allah who can reward you for making our dream come true. MSSN national headquarters salutes everybody that has come to grace this blessed gathering. We say jazakumullahu khairan for not only honouring our invitation but also for physically attending this programme. CONCLUSION Subhanaka Allahuma wabihamdika ashadu an la illaha illa anta astagfiruka wa atuubu ilaik. Wassalamu alaikum warahmatullah wabarakaatuh. ABDULAZEEZ SIRAJUDEEN FOLAYEMI MSSN NATIONAL PRESIDENT MUHARAM 1436 AH
Posted on: Mon, 10 Nov 2014 03:46:10 +0000
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