If we keep quiet because of Tinubu’s national honour, God won’t forgive us – CISLAC Boss
*Vows, "It won't stop us from advocating for justice in Nigeria"
By BASHIR ADEFAKA
“That would not stop us from telling them the truth because the country is drilling and so we cannot because of one supposed national award say we want to keep quiet. In fact we are going to even do more. Yes!” Rafsanjani vowed.
The Executive Director of Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and Nigeria’s Head of Transparency International, Mallam Auwal Musa Ibrahim a.k.a. Rafsanjani, has described his enlistment among new national honour recipients by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as one that is incapable of influencing him to stop his civil society organisation’s job of seeking social justice in Nigeria.
His name was input on the list as a Member of the Federal Republic (MFR).
Rafsanjani, who spoke to The DEFENDER through a telephone interview morning of Friday June 13, 2025, said what he and his organisations do is for the good of the country and it’s people and so cannot be halted by influence of any kind especially unsolicited.
He said, “Don’t mind them. Initially they put up a list which some people raised objection against. I think the first list in the Assembly, many people were contending it, but I saw another one, in which they input my name.”
On how he would react to it, he said, “That would not stop us from telling them the truth because the country is drilling and so we cannot because of one supposed national award say we want to keep quiet. In fact we are going to even do more. Yes!” He vowed.
According to the Chairman of the Board of Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), “We will continue to speak about injustice in this country. If we keep quiet, God will not even forgive us. We will continue to tell them the truth.”
When asked if he would reject the national honour as done by Chief Gani Fawehinmi during his lifetime although the national honour is not Tinubu’s personal asset, Rafsanjani said:
“Well, for me, we are still discussing but this line I mentioned will not stop us from continuing to engage and say the truth. We will continue to raise issues. We will continue to talk about what we consider not appropriate in this country. This, in any way, will not stop us from continuing our talking.
“In any case, we never even expected it. If you look at the of statements that we are dashing out everyday, one would not even expect anything like this to come and that will not stop us from continuing our advocacy and our demand for social justice in Nigeria.
“The national honour is not his own personal property, it is for the nation, Nigeria. So, we will continue to speak about Nigeria and we will continue to speak about what we consider to be injustice in Nigeria.”
