ALERT!!! A Nation Under Siege: Nigeria May Become an Islamic Nation...If Christians Don't Act!

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In a letter written by the Secretary to the Catholic Bishop of Umuahia, Rev. Fr. Donatus Ezegbe to the Christian community‪ tagged ‎Appointments in Education Sector: A Time for Reckoning Coalition of Christian Groups, it was stated clearly that “It is pertinent to explain that there is a difference between Islam and Islamism. While Islam is a religion, Islamism is not a religion, but a political ideology that holds that, Islam is not only a religion but a political system that must dominate wherever Islam is practiced. Islamism is the ideology driving the Taliban, Al Shabab, Al Qaeda,ISIS, Boko Haram, Fulani Herdsmen and so on. Islamism operates through religious terrorists and subtly through “Civilization Jihad” which seeks to undermine democratic societies and convert them to Sharia States”. The Islamisation of Nigeria is therefore understood not just as a religious dominance, but a plot towards political subjugation under a religious platform.

The plot to Islamize Nigeria has a long history and can be traced to the times preceding democratic rule in the country; the military autocratic regime. The genesis of this movement towards the Islamization of Nigeria could be traced to the Babangida regime, when Nigeria was enlisted as a member nation in Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). It is on record that, the then President Babangida paid the huge sum of Twenty One Billion Dollars ($ 21, 000,000,000) from the national treasury to the Islamic Development Fund (IDF) of OIC to make sure that the objectives of the organisation are realised is Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. In his words, “take this money for the total Islamisation of Nigeria in particular and Africa in Nigeria”. This was the inclusion of the Nigerian flag alongside other member nations in the billboard of the OIC.

In clear letters, the document ratified by the member nations of the OIC contains the following objectives;

• To eradicate in all its forms and ramifications all non-Muslim religions in member nations (such religions shall include; Christianity, Ahmadiyya and other tribal modes of worship unacceptable to Muslim). NB Christianity was underlined in the Declaration.

• To ensure that only Muslims are elected to all political posts of member nations.

• To ensure the ultimate replacement of all Western forms of legal and judicial system with the Sharia in all member nation before the next “Islam in Africa” Conference.

• To ensure the appointments of only Muslims into strategic national and international posts of member nations.

Nigeria has enjoyed a relative peace in her religious life until the present Buhari-led administration in the country. There is a point to worry the more in the speed at which the Islamization of Nigeria is happening with the present administration at the federal level and in some states in the country.

The Kaduna State religion regulation bill is one of the regulations at the State level that leaves no well meaning Nigerian in doubt on how Islamic the destination of the country has become. The bill prohibits the public preaching of the word of God and stipulates licence for all Men of God, which is compulsorily renewable after one year. Without such a licence, no pastor is allowed to preach especially in public places. This bill in no little measure is targeted at the Christians. A similar bill was replicated in Osun State were students were mandated to wear the Muslim Hijab to schools. This led to some crises and aroused varied reactions from Nigerians. Most recently, Taraba State was reported to have sponsored the Muslim faithful with a huge sum of money for their Pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, Alhaji Umar Leme, the Executive Secretary of Taraba Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board said, the state government released N 288.5 Million to sponsor about 166 intending pilgrims for the 2016 pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. The big question remains, what remains of the allocation from the Federal government if such huge since such huge sum was voted for just pilgrimage? Are there no better concerns of the government for the citizens than mere pilgrimage?

There are cases of religious attacks by Muslims on Christians in recent times. This is epitomised in the recent incessant killings masterminded by the Fulani Herdsmen in many states of the country and tolerated by the federal government. This is a conspiracy of both silence and incompetence.

At the federal level, the brazen and audacious imposition of Islamists into key positions in the country is not an expression of religious piety, but a deliberate manipulation of religion for cultural and political domination agenda. This Agenda commenced in 1975 after the overthrow of General Gowon. The Islamists are a violent and domineering strain of Islam that even Muslim nations cannot tolerate. It would be recalled that after the Arab Spring revolution in Tunisia and Egypt, both nations elected Islamists of the Muslim Brotherhood into power. One year later, both Arab Islamic nations staged another revolution and sacked them. If Arab Muslim nations cannot tolerate Islamists domination, there is need to worry how Nigeria, a multi cultural, multi religious, multi lingual, and multi ethnic nation would cope. The signs are ominous that the Islamists of the Hausa, Fulani, and Kanuri strain have contrived a malevolent agenda against the 386 other Ethnic Nationalities in Nigeria.

In the words of Fr. Donatus Ezebge; “While we were worried about the lopsided Appointments in the Security Services, we observed, a few days ago that, the Education Sector has been privatized into the hands of only the educated Fulanis (Fulanization) and notorious Islamists in the nation. Virtually all strategic Federal Educational offices/appointments have gone to the Islamists as Heads of Universities, Polytechnics, Colleges of Education, University Admissions Board (JAMB), Educational Funding and Policy Departments, etc. Our concerns are not about the Job/Appointment, but about the fundamental Islamists Agenda.

What shall the list of students’ admission look like in the nearest future in our Nation? A major apprehension during the 2015 Election was the possibility of President Buhari dividing Nigeria along religious lines. This apprehension has now been confirmed as the President has officially completed the last phase of the Islamization exercise by instituting a strong Islamic Foundation throughout the Nigerian Education Sector by handing the leadership of the vital Institutes/institutions to core Islamists. All functional Boards in the Civil Service went to the North, mostly Muslims/Fulanis, which is becoming a threat and danger to the very foundation of Nigeria.

Nigerians are apt to cry out about the appointments made by the present administration owing to the objectives of the OIC to penetrate the various facets of the nation’s administration. This is obvious when one considers the VIOLATION OF PRINCIPLE OF FEDERAL CHARACTER IN FEDERAL APPOINTMENTS; Section 171 Sub Section 5 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) stipulates that, the President in exercising his powers of appointment under this section shall have regard to the Federal Character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity. “A cursory look into list of appointments by this administration shows utter disregard for issues that promote national unity and a gross violation of the Constitution. We wonder how Mr. President can relate the impunity of his administration to his mantra of fight against corruption. By flagrantly violating the Constitution, in Section 171(5) and in Section 10, the President has presented himself as THE MOST CORRUPT NIGERIAN” Fr. Donatus wrote.

It is heart rending and unfortunate that, the present administration in Nigeria is bothered more about religious favouritism than matters of economic and social concerns. The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, recently, directed banks and authorised forex dealers to sell the Pilgrims Travelling Allowance, PTA, to intending pilgrims at a concessionary exchange rate of N197 to $1. This is happening at a time when the official price of Dollar is $1 to N 400. This subsidy in the Dollar rate could have translated into better economic gains if it was granted to businessmen than mere pilgrims.

The move towards Islamization in Nigeria has become so obvious that, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is recommending that, the State Department add Nigeria and six other countries to its list of 10 nations that engage in the worst violations of religious rights.

Many Nigerians may pay no heed to the warning to halt all moves towards Islamization with the flimsy excuse that, Nigeria is a democratic country. For the many Nigerians who may belong to this camp, the lessons from Turkey prove very practical and real. Turkey enjoyed 100% Christianity in her boarders before the advent of Islamic Religion. Christianity was 1,123 years old in Turkey when it fell under the reign of Islamic religion. Presently, Turkey which previously was 100% Christian has become a nation with 96.04% of her population as Muslims. Christianity enjoys only about 0.21% of the present day Turkey population.

Besides the age of Christianity in Turkey, they had good connection with the Church of Christ. The letters written to the Church of God in the Book of Revelation were all written to Christian Communities in the present day Turkey. The city of Macedonia as mentioned in the Letters of St. Paul is found in Turkey. The question remains “if Turkey despite her connection with the biblical Jesus and despite her long age with Christianity could fall under the siege of Islamic Religion, what fate awaits Nigeria?”

It is very obvious that many of the Islamic agenda are gradually getting perfected in Nigeria. All hands must be on deck to check this Islamic water level before Nigeria becomes completely engulfed in it.

GOD SAVE NIGERIA!!!

Okechukwu Chukwuemeka (okeyemmy@gmail.com) is a freelance writer who publishes regularly in the “The Choice Flame Newspaper”, a bi-weekly publication of the Catholic Diocese of Enugu, Enugu State, Nigeria.

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