...Datti Ahmed, Others Allege Religious BiasFrom Agaju Madugba in Kaduna, 02.20.2005
Two Islamic groups in the country, Jamarul Nasi-rulah of Nigeria (JNI) and the Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria (SCSN), have rejected the list of delegates to the National Political Reform Conference, accusing President Olusegun Obasanjo of marginalising the Nigerian muslim community.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday in Kaduna, the President of the SCSN, Dr. Ibrahim Datti Ahmed, asked Muslims from across the country to ignore the conference if President Obasanjo failed to appoint a Muslim as conference chairman or secretary.
According to him, "We wish to alert peace loving Nigerians of plans by the President to appoint Justice Niki Tobi from South-south zone as the chairman of the National Political Reforms Conference with yet another christian, Rev. Mathew Kukah, as Confab secretary.
"We find this development puzzling and wish to emphatically draw the attention of the government that this is evidently insensitive to the reality of religious make-up of the country and therefore unacceptable.
"This is an insult to the muslim majority and only goes to confirm fears of a hidden agenda.
"It is amazing to see that no muslim was nominated from Edo, Ondo and Ekiti states even though muslims constitute 30 to 35 per cent of their population," Ahmed said.
Similarly, in a glaring case of blind judgement, Taraba State with a population of over 50 per cent muslims has only two muslims with four christians.
"Out of the 46 persons nominated by the President, only 17 are Muslims while 29 are Christians.
"And of the 26 nominated from the North, 17 are muslims with nine christians while out of the 20 nominated from the South 19 are christians with Alhaji Serene Dokubo as the only muslim from the South," he said.
The group also gave further analysis of the delegates nominated under different categories as follows:-
Academics - two muslims, four christians
Labour - two muslims, four christians
Nigeria Employers Consultative Council - one muslim, five christians
Women Groups - two muslims, four christians
NACCIMA - two muslims, four christians
Political Parties - seven muslims, 11 christians
Civil Society - two muslims, four christians
Social and Cultural Groups - two muslims, 12 christians
Nigerians in The Diaspora - one muslim, four christians
Physically Challenged People - one muslim, two christians
NUJ and NPAN - three, all christians
Trade Union Council - two, all christians
Traditional Rulers - two muslims, four christians
FCT - one muslim, two christians
Retired Civil Servants - two, all christians
Retired Military Personnel - one muslim, two christians
Similarly, a letter to the President by the JNI Secretary-General, Justice Abdulkadir Orire, said that "Out of the total 393 selected or appointed members of the conference, 233 are christians and only 160 are muslims giving the christians a majority of 73 over the muslims.
"To further entrench the imbalance in appointment the leadership of the conference, the chairman and secretary, the two top officials, are both christians.
"The muslims are therefore deliberately assigned subordinate positions.
"In view of this observation, it is our duty to inform you that the leadership and membership of the national conference is unacceptable to the muslims Ummar of Nigeria and to urge you to uphold the principle of equity and fairness in this respect and accord the muslim Ummar of Nigeria its rightful position in the scheme of things," Orire said.
11:36:20 AM 
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