MUSWEN wades into political members’ disputes, settles rifts between Shittu, aides

Long after studying the ugly situation as some political opponents tried to hide under issues between the Minister of Communications and his aides over alleged unpaid entitlements to blackmail with intent to destroy his image, the Muslim Ummah of South West of Nigeria (MUSWEN) recently waded into the matter and said enough of it.

It would be recalled how some aides of Chief Abdurraheem Adebayo Shittu, Minister of Communications, have dominated the air space with letters about how they had worked for him for not paid over a period of time.  This, it was gathered, became a ready political tool, to whip the minister as a way of checkmating him on his way to seeking election into office as next governor of Oyo State.

But the Muslim Ummah in the geopolitical zone frowned at the ugly event and decided to bring it to an end.  This it started by bringing Shittu and one of his erstwhile aide, Sheikh Tajudeen Imam, face to face with each other at a meeting held at Islamic Mission for Africa (IMA) Centre, Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, presided over President of IMA and former Attorney-General of the Federation Minister of Justice, Prince Bola Ajibola (SAN).

MUSWEN, in a communicate it issued to the press and signed by its Executive Secretary Prof. Dawud O.S. Noibi on Thursday May 3, 2018 on the issue, stated that, “In the last few weeks, the media, both conventional and social, were awash with stories that point to a crisis of confidence between the Honourable Minister of Communications, Barrister Abdur-Raheem Adebayo Shittu, and some of his aides.  The indecent way the misunderstanding was handled in the public space became a source of concern to patriotic Nigerians, Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

“As part of its religious, social and civic obligations, the Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN) which is the umbrella body for all Muslims in the south West region of Nigeria, the Minister’s home base, took practical steps to ensure that the cause of disagreement was adequately and amicably addressed.  MUSWEN was all the more worried seeing that most of the dramatis personae in the faceoff are Muslims.

“MUSWEN’s intervention in the crisis culminated in a peace meeting which was held at the IMA Centre, Abeokuta on Sunday, 29th March, 2018. The meeting involved the Honourable Minister, Barrister Abdur-Raheem Adebayo Shittu, one of his recently disengaged aides, Shaykh Tajudeen Oyebanji Imam, who represented the aggrieved aides, and top leaders of the Muslim Community in the region.

“MUSWEN’s 10-member Mediation Team which was led by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, His Excellency, Judge (Prince) Bola ‘Abdul Jabbaar Ajibola, SAN, KBE, CFR and the Executive Secretary/CEO, Professor Dawud Noibi, OBE, included Alhaja Sekinah Adekola, Iya Addini of Yorubaland and member of the Board of Trustees; Alhaji Sulaiman Ogunlayi, Deputy Chairman of the Elders’ Forum; Prof Tajudeen Gbadamosi, President of the Muslim Community of Lagos State; Alhaji Yakubu Sanni, President of the Ekiti State Council for Islamic Affairs; Alhaji Femi Abbas, member of the Elders’ Forum; Alhaji Abdulfattah Adedokun who represented the Chairman of the Muslim Community of Oyo State; Imam Abdurrazaq Abdussalaam who represented the Chief Imam of Ibadanland; and Alhaji Mustapha Bayo Oyero, Chairman, Ibadan Muslim Community and member of the Elders’ Forum who represented Muslim elders in Oyo State.

“Guide by Allah’s directive in Qur’an 49:9 & 10 and in accordance with the principle of fair hearing, the panel allowed both parties to present their case and clarify issues. Both parties being Muslims were reminded of the need to uphold Islamic values both in word and in deed.

“With regard to the relationship between Barrister Abdur-Raheem Adebayo Shittu and Shaykh Tajudeen Oyebanji Imam, the meeting established the following: 1. That both of them have had close relationship as brothers in Islam for almost 2 decades; 2. That they never had any friction between them until after Shaykh Tajudeen became an aide to Barrister Shittu; 3. That the supporters of both parties escalated the avoidable social media war; 4. That, unfortunately, in the course of the social media war, wrong allegations were made and a lot of issues that were not connected to the cause of disagreement were thrown into the public space; and 5. That both men regretted the level that the issue degenerated to as witnessed recently; 6. That both parties expressed their readiness to put the misunderstanding behind them.

“At the end of the reconciliatory meeting, the following were agreed by both parties: 1. The misunderstanding between Barrister Abdur-Raheem Adebayo Shittu, the Honourable Minister of Communications, and Shaykh Tajudeen Oyebanji Imam, the erstwhile Special Assistant (Special Duties) to the Minister is now adequately and amicably settled; 2. Both parties agreed to forgive each other for the way the issue got escalated in the media and for the abusive language that characterised the media war; 3. Both parties agreed to do all that they can to resume their relationship as brothers in Islam; 4. They both agreed to henceforth put a stop to the media war; 5. They both agreed to properly brief their respective supporters on the outcome of the mediation and the need for peace to reign between them and among our people; and against this background, and in the interest of peace, the elders appeal to other former aides of the Minister to act in similar manner.”