Press Release: STOP WASTING NIGERIA’S MONEY - 23 June, 2010

The signals reaching the Nigerian public concerning the carefree attitude of the Nigerian government and the lawmakers to tax-payers’ hard-earned money is quite disturbing. While the Federal Government is planning to spend ten billion naira (N10 billion) on activities marking the fiftieth independence anniversary of Nigeria, the nation’s lawmakers are hell bent on emptying the treasury.

The Nigerian government has no justification for earmarking such a huge sum for the celebration of this year’s independence. There is no end in sight yet for the nation’s problems. Where are the roads? What is our GDP? What is our per capita income? Where is electricity? More factories are being shut down all over the country. An army of unemployed youths roam Nigerian streets. Our hospitals are glorified cemeteries. The education sector is in a laughable state. What is there to celebrate?

To add salt to injury, our lawmakers have demonstrated enough evidence to show that they have totally lost focus. Their concern is how much of looted funds go to the National Assembly. Otherwise how can they demand N30 million monthly when the average Nigerian lives on less than one dollar per day. Other very critical sectors are being deprived of ‘survival income’ but our leaders are cocooning in unimaginable luxury.

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) condemns this trend in very strong terms. It is gross irresponsibility on the part of government to even think of spending half of what it has earmarked. A sensitive administration would plan a low-key celebration. This is what we advise Jonathan’s government to do.

Islam frowns upon extravagance. The Qur’an compares spendthrifts to friends of Shaytan (Ikhwan ush-Shaytan) and calls Shaytan an ingrate unto his Lord (Qur’an 17:26-27).

MURIC affirms that Nigerians will have no confidence in the Jonathan administration and the National Assembly until it demonstrates the will to curb public office of the noun ‘thief’ and the verb ‘to steal’.

Dr. Is-haq Akintola
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)