The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) is calling on the Federal Government to expedite action on drastically reducing the cost of transportation and food to alleviate the hardship being faced by ordinary Nigerians.

The organisation also called for an urgent and comprehensive reform of Nigeria’s security architecture, while supporting decentralised policing.

The NSCIA made the suggestions in a communiqué issued after its General Assembly held in Abuja with the theme, “Nigerian Muslims and the Imperative of Nation-building”, and signed by its President-General and Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar and Secretary-General, Prof Is-haq Oloyede.

The organisation said the reform of the security architecture and decentralized policing should be anchored on professionalism, constitutional safeguards, impartiality, accountability, sustainable funding, respect for fundamental rights and effective coordination between federal and state security institutions.

On National Security and Cohesion, the NSCIA reiterated that insecurity in Nigeria affects all Nigerians regardless of faith, adding that “there is no genocide of Christians or any religious community in Nigeria as claimed in some quarters.”

The NSCIA asserted the obvious that Islam has been in Igboland for several decades and across generations and condemned any attempt by anyone or group to pretend that Muslims are not indigenous to Igboland in order to suppress and normalise attacks against

The organisation called on all government agencies to respect the right of Muslim female students, Muslim National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members, Muslim female personnel in security agencies and Muslim female staff in other work places to use hijab as their fundamental human right.

On Faith, Unity and Conduct of the Ummah, the NSCIA affirmed that Islam prohibits compulsion in religion and that Muslims do not force people to become Muslims.

The communique also reaffirmed the need for unity and enjoined Muslim scholars to desist from attacking one another in the public domain and to resolve their differences through internal mechanisms without causing embarrassment to the Ummah.

The organisation cautioned Muslims against manipulating Islam to promote hatred, violence and attacks against those who do not share Islamic views, and reiterated the need to always find a common ground by de-emphasising sectarian differences in line with Allah’s injunction.

It enjoined Muslims to imbibe the culture of verification and evidence (Tabayyun) and to desist from sharing unverified messages, claims and accusations that impugn the character of leaders and others. (AriseNews TV)

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