BEING A KEYNOTE ADDRESS DELIVERED BY THE 34TH NATIONAL PRESIDENT OF THE MUSLIM STUDENTS’ SOCIETY OF NIGERIA, MALLAM ABDULAZEEZ SIRAJUDEEN FOLAYEMI, AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE ISLAMIC VACATION COURSE WITH THE THEME; A TIME TIME TO COME, HELD ING AT THE IVC PERMANENT SITE IBADAN LAGOS EXPRESS ROAD IMO LISA VILLAGE OGUN STATE ON 2ND, RABIUL AWWAL 1436 AH (25 TH DECEMBER, 2014). INTRODUCTION In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. All praise and gratitude is due to Allah, the Lord of incomparable majesty. May His choicest blessing be upon the gentle soul of the greatest man that ever lived, Muhammad Mustapha, his companions and those who continue to follow his foot step till a day when wealth and kin will not be of any benefit except he that comes with a submissive soul to the will of Allah. ISLAMIC VACATION COURSE On behalf of millions of members of MSSN in Nigeria and diaspora I welcome everybody here seated to this blessed gathering. MSSN IVC provides a moment when Muslim students in the country including artisan and professionals comes together not only to strengthen the Islamic fraternity and brotherhood within them, but also to rejuvenate and rededicate themselves to the service of Al-Islam. IVC has since become a household name; it is the largest gathering of the Muslim students at home and abroad. In the last five decades, the programme has pride itself as the only programme that receives and trains the greatest number of Muslim students and da’wah workers in Nigeria. Let me say at this juncture that this year’s IVC is a special one not only because it is coming at the golden age of the society but this will perhaps be the largest gathering of the Muslim faithful in this country before the 2015 election . The theme of this year’s IVC was carefully selected in other to recharge the current membership towards bringing back the golden era of this great society when MSSN was the pride of average Muslim family in this country. OUR SOCIETY MSSN The Muslim students’ society of Nigeria also known as MSSN is the apex body representing the interest of Muslims studying in all formal and non-formal education settings in Nigeria and abroad. Our membership cut across all facets of human endeavours, from secondary school to post graduate students, artisans and professionals who belief and are ready to work with the aims and objectives of this grate and blessed society. The society as a child of necessity was established on 18th April 1954 in response to the yearning of Muslim Students for a platform to discuss and find solutions to their common problems and challenges. Muslims who wants to access western education had to do that in a hostile colonial and evangelical environment which is then prevalent in the country. Permit me to say that six decades after its formation, has metamorphosed from being a society into an ideology which has influenced the course of events not only in the most populous black nation but in the world at large. It has since grown in leaps and bounds to be the largest organisation (religious or otherwise) not only in Nigeria but in Africa, Europe and North America with millions as active members while some other millions are sympathisers. Brothers and sisters, distinguished personalities here seated, the contributions of MSSN to National development are enormous and these include serving as a potent tool of national unity and cohesion. Apart from all its members that cut across geographical and ethnic barriers, the society has raised a new generation across the nation and the world at large whose fraternity is based on faith in Allah and not tribe or race. MSSN as a powerful force is promoting national integration and removing ethnic barriers through its programmes and activities that emphasize the values and brotherhood of Islam in particular and unity of mankind in general. The programmes of this great society are geared towards giving a proper orientation to the future leaders and this effort has continued to produce generations of outstanding leaders that have contributed immensely to our national life. The society has remained a pressure group working for not only bringing the Muslims in closer union and inculcating in them true Islamic spirit and faith in Allah, but also promoting and defending the general welfare of the masses as well as defending their fundamental human rights in our country. THE STATE OF THE NATION We want to use this medium to once again call on all those who are passionate about the project Nigeriathe to come to the rescue of this nation. The once greate and giant nation is at the verge of collapse. The nation has been bifurcated along dangerous religious and ethnic divides, it is no more a selling news that terrorism is on the rampage taking over our lands on daily bases. Nigeria is fast becoming a ghost of itself. Different ethnic militia are trethning hell will let loose if their candidate is not elected. The worst treat is coming from the Niger delta militant who have been empowered by this administration to acquire arms and armunition in the name of security contract , they have consistently and openly treathning to use it on Nigerians should their tribe man is not returned for second term. The present generation of the Muslim students were born at a time when people freely lived and aspire for prosperity in any part of the nation. In the past people freely moved and settled down in any part of this nation, but today, the reverse is the case. There is fear in our land; people no longer sleep with their two eyes closed. Families that have settled down in different part of the nation are forced to retrace their places of origin; insurgency is not only taking over our lands but subjecting even indigenes to traumatic situations and holding them hostages in their home towns. Nigerians are been slaughtered in their hundreds on daily basis in the north. And to worsen the case those who are charged with the cardinal responsibility of guarding and protecting the unity and soveregnity of the Nation are been accused of committing genocide in the name of fighting terrorists. We want to reiterate that Mr President should address the nation on why the nation is under siege by the terrorist. Why has the insurgency continued to beat the nation’s military arsenals despite the billions of dollars voted for security, why is it that for the first time, Nigerian army that have been celebrated for successful peace keeping mission in many African countries are now rebellious and some have to be sentenced to death, Mr President should address this nation on what is going on the Nigeria military why about 100 soldiers would be sentenced to death for legitimate demand of equipment to fight insurgence. Why are these unfortunate warriors been tried secretly, is secret trial of soldiers not against their fundamental human right and the spirit of democracy, are we saying Nigerians not qualified to know and appreciate the proceeding of their trials. And the circumstances that lead to their death sentence. The Muslim students demand that Mr President should address this nation on why the terrorist have become stronger even alfter a year when some states in the north east have come under partial emergency rule. Mr President should address the nation on these cardinal questions because the millions of the Muslim students in Nigeria and the diaspora are fast losing confidence in the sincerity of this administration at fighting the insurgence and guaranteeing the safety of Nigerian lives and property. ARISE O MUSLIM STUDENTS The Christian have held on to power continuously for the past fourteen years in this country, within this period they have openly strategies the Christianisation of this country. The blind can see how they have systematically run a Christian bias administration to the level that appointment is randomly made to favour Christians from the nook and crannies of this nation. The Muslims in this country are been shortchanged. Muslims in the last 50years have been traumatised and demonised to the level that an average Muslim 7 this country is a suspected terrorists, the case 9 two MSSN sisters that were almost killed by irate youth on suspicion of been a suicide bomber in FUTA Minnie is still fresh. At this juncture I want to call on the Muslim students to rise up; the hope and future of the Nigerian Muslims stand up and salvage this country from total collapse. We should stand up courageously and wrestle power from those ruling us recklessly. We should be bold to tell those who are traumatising and threating our future that come 2015 we will vote them out. We should not vote for any government or political parties that will not allow our sisters to freely use hijab in schools funded and maintained by their father’s tax. We should send parking government or political parties that are willing to dubiously hand over public schools to the Christian missionaries and return us to the dark colonial and dangerous evangelical period. We should politically reject and condemn in its totality the call, move or actions by individuals or group aimed at ensuring that public schools are fraudulently handed over to the church. We should vote out those that have strategically denied our younger ones the learning of the Islamic language and the study of the Islamic faith in public schools. They have continuously traumatised and humiliate our younger ones because of their dominance in the political field. Muslim students in Nigeria arise and vote these enemies of your future prosperity out of power in Nigeria. These are people who strangulated our forefathers politically, they made our fathers serve them, we the children are already their servant, progressive Muslim students we must raise up and stop their monopoly of power so that our children will not fall into our predicament. Stand up and vote out those who have stigmatised and demonised you and are killing your brethren in the country and your future will be guaranteed. Muslim students at home and in the diaspora, in order to achieve this inevitable task, we must embark on aggressive participation in the electioneering process. We must ensure we actively participate in the continuous voter’s registration. Our target is 20 million votes. We want to have 20 million votes in our custody and with this inshallah we will be able to negotiate our future. We want to call on our fathers and all Muslim youth organizations in the country to join us in this operation. We must rescue our future from these enemies of the Muslim child who are determined to change our faith and identity. We must not give up and Allah will give us victory. APPRECIATION Once again we welcome you to this great gathering. We are happy that you have joined us in this years IVC Your presence at this event has raised our hope that the Muslim students are not orphans. Your association with us has raised our courage and we are more recharged to serve Islam the more. We sincerely appreciate every one of you for making today a reality. We say it’s only Allah who can reward you for making our dream come true. MSSN national headquarters salutes everybody that has come to grace this blessed gathering. We say jazakumullahu khairan for not only honouring our invitation but also for physically attending this programme. CONCLUSION Subhanaka Allahuma wabihamdika ashadu an la illaha illa anta astagfiruka wa atuubu ilaik. Wassalamu alaikum warahmatullah wabarakaatuh. ABDULAZEEZ SIRAJUDEEN FOLAYEMI MSSN NATIONAL PRESIDENT 26th RABIUL Awwal 1436(23rd December2014)
Posted on: Thu, 25 Dec 2014 17:08:18 +0000
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