*Felicitate with brothers, sisters nationwide, urges support
*Call for attention to challenges faced by Igbo Muslim woman, girl child
By Busola Samuel
As Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III’s creativity, which led to yet another successful unification of the Nigerian Muslim Community particularly the guidance that led to uniform period of commencement of the ongoing Ramadan fasting period, continues to receive loud ovation from across the Ummah in the country, the South Eastern Muslims of Nigeria (SEMON) has joined in congratulating the Leader of the Ummah for rightly guiding faithful.
The Igbo Muslims also felicitated with the Muslim Ummah of Nigeria and the world over the month of Ramadan, even as they urge the wealthy among the Ummah to utilize the month to feed the poor, support the needy and strive to ease the Islamic obligation on the less privileged.
A statement released to the press and signed by the Chairman of the organization, Muhammad Obiahu Ajah Jr. and Secretary, Abdurrahman Nwabueze Urama, applauded the spirit of brotherhood exhibited by Muslims during Ramadan.
The group appealed for the continuation of the Islamic atmosphere after Ramadan so that the privileged Muslims can go on giving special attention to the poor as commanded by Allah and exemplified by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW).
SEMON enlisted prominent Muslims of Nigeria to come to the aid of the Muslims of the Southeast in terms of economic empowerment and alleviation of their educational and health challenges.
It called for particular attention to the challenges faced by the Igbo Muslim women and girl-children.
They implored the Sultan and all the Muslim leaders in Nigeria to continue to provide proper guidance to the Muslim faithful under their domains to ensure the practical unity and progress of the Ummah in a multi-religious society like Nigeria.
“We plead with our leaders to continue as always to guide us. Muslims through their guidance have lived in harmony with other citizens of Nigeria. There is the need to ensure good parentage to guard against the stray extremists who have been misrepresenting the image of Islam in the name of fighting globalization. There is no compulsion in Islam and no Muslim, for any reason, has the right to take the life of any human being without a ruling by a competent court.
“On that note, we also call on our Muslim and Islamic leaders to look towards the Southeast geopolitical zone of Nigeria in order to assist in alleviating some of the challenges faced by Muslims especially the vulnerable women and female children.
“We also join in appealing to the Federal Government to as a matter of national interest employ all security measures to safeguard the citizens across Nigeria and to bring any perpetrator of criminality against humanity to book. We also commend the government for its strong stand in fighting financial recklessness and for all efforts in recovering the nation’s wealth by past administrations and political office holders. We also pray for Nigeria and her peoples and wish them progress, unity and peace at all times.
“Lastly, we use the medium to again call on the Federal Government to include Muslims of Igbo race in the ongoing composition of board memberships of the federal agencies and parastatals as means of ensuring equity and fairness, as well as giving the sense of belonging to the minorities of Nigeria, it said.
