Muslim community tasks government on ethical reorientation

The Muslim Community of Lagos State (MCLS) has urged the government, at all levels, to scale up efforts at addressing moral decadence in the country.

Specifically, the group emphasised the need for the intelligence units to be equipped enough to nip crimes in the bud, the law enforcement agencies equipped enough to respond to crimes swiftly and the court be courageous enough to dispense justice.

MCLS noted that no meaningful progress or development can take place in the midst of a rising wave of immorality and social decadence.

“The growing spate of crime and immorality in our dear country is a matter of keen concern to us. Killings, kidnapping, banditry, cultism all are in rising.

“Many of our major roads have become a haven for kidnappers. Every day, there is a new story of crime and criminal activities. In a recent case, some security and law enforcement officers were accused of aiding criminals. We are aware of the efforts being made by the government to deal with this social malady. Indeed, we commend such efforts, be they at the level of the state, zone or national. However, it is obvious that we cannot continue like this. Something must be done to curtail this ugly trend.”

Meanwhile, the President of MCLS, Prof. Tajudeen Gbadamosi has congratulated the recent appointees to the federal and state cabinets and advised them to discharge their duties with justice and the fear of God.

He urged them to always remember that their appointment is a call to service. “There is much work to be done in every sphere of our national life. We wish all the appointees Allah’s guidance and protection as they discharge their onerous responsibilities. We expect the cabinet to hit the ground running and we hope to see how far they have gone in the first one hundred days.

“We would also monitor the progress. We believe the government should bear in mind the interest of various sections in the state, particularly the Muslim section. Even though there may be only nine Muslims in the cabinet, we expect the government to do its best in considering competent and deserving Muslims for future appointments”.

Also, MCLS has appealed to Lagos State Government, particularly the House of Assembly to consider and declare the first day of Islamic Hijrah calendar as a national and state holiday for its important landmark in Islam and to Muslims.

The group noted that some states in the North and Osun State in South West have declared it. “We hope our beloved state would follow suit. It is long overdue for the state; the Muslims would hail it, and this government would be remembered with gratitude for it forever.

“The hijrah represents the migration of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) from Makkah to Medina. The Holy prophet taught us that ‘A Muhajir (the one who does the Hijrah) is the one who gives up and abandons all that Allah has forbidden.’ Thus, the essence of Hijrah lies in abandoning evil in all forms. We should all eschew killing, kidnappings, banditry, cultism, corruption and all other vices.”

We should migrate from the darkness of these vices into the light of good deeds and righteous actions. In the light of this, we urge our brothers and sisters to see the Hijrah as an opportunity for us to abandon the prohibitions of our Lord, an opportunity to re-dictate ourselves to good and pious deeds, and an opportunity for us to beseech our Lord to make us steadfast upon righteous actions.”