Director, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), Professor Ishaq Akintola, on Tuesday asked National and State Assemblies to commence a process to repeal what he called colonial and obnoxious laws that empowered state governors to depose traditional rulers in the country.
Speaking as keynote speaker at the conference on Islam in Nigeria, organized by the Islamic Welfare Foundation (IWF) and the Al-hikmah University, Ilorin, themed, Social and Technology Development Architecture: The Role of Religion, Akintola particularly asked the Sokoto state House of Assembly to take the lead by initiating a process to repeal section 6 of the state’s law that empowers the state governor to depose traditional rulers including the highly revered Sultan of Sokoto and president general of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA).
Akintola described such powers vested in the hands of state governors and local government chairmen as “draconian, colonial and obnoxious”, adding that it is “unAfrican to depose traditional rulers”.
The conference, which attracted scholars from across the country with dean, faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Al-Hikmah University, Professor Lateef Oladimeji presenting the lead paper one, titled, Impact of religious extremism on peace and security in Nigeria’s multi faith communities.
The MURIC director berated politicians for denigrating traditional institutions because of their inordinate ambition.
“Our politicians are exploiting our traditional rulers. When they want to get to power, they go to them. When they get to power, they used them, they tyranised them. We believe it is a spill over of colonialism, after independence. We should not have allowed the law to remain in our constitution, if truly we are independent”, he said.
In his address, vice chancellor of Al-Hikmah University, Professor Noah Yusuf, who was represented by the university’s deputy vice chancellor, Dr. Sikiru Nurudeen, enjoined Muslims to return to the old ways of making education and research a top priority as tool to solving challenges confronting them.
National coordinator, IWF, Dr. Hassan Kalejaiye and the state cordinator of the foundation, Hon. Ishaq Sabi and chairman of the local organizing committee, Dr. Yusuf Suleiman, said the essence of the conference was to encourage Muslims ro embrace technology in addressing contemporary challenges facing Muslims.
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