Islamic Group Reveals Who Introduced Arabic Inscriptions In Naira, Blasts Goodluck Jonathan For Removing It

• EKOHOTBLOG, 16TH NOVEMBER, 2020
• The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has described the suit challenging the Arabic inscription on the Nigerian currency (naira) as ‘acrobatic religiousity.’

MURIC noted that it was not Nigerian Muslim leaders who brought the idea of Arabic in the Nigerian currency in post-independence Nigeria, adding that the man who initiated it was a Christian, an Urhobo officer by name General David Akpode Ejoor.

The group tackled Nigerian Christians and former President Goodluck Jonathan, accusing him of becoming an instrument of division by removing Arabic from the naira during his administration.

“How many times do we need to tell our Christian neighbours that Nigeria is not a secular but a multi-religious state. A secular state is one that does not recognize religion as in communist states. But Nigeria recognizes all the religions in the country and the Constitution also begins with the words ‘under God’. Secular states do not recognize the existence of God.

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The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 says inter alia at its very beginning, ‘We the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria: having firmly and solemnly resolved : to live in unity and harmony as one indivisible and indissoluble sovereign Nation under God.

“So how can Nigeria be a secular state when we are ‘under God’? In addition, nowhere in the whole constitution was the word ‘secular’ ever used and we challenge anyone who can find that word from the constitution to mention the chapter, section and sub-section.

For equity, therefore, Nigeria should have two official languages: Arabic and English with priority and emphasis in that alphabetical order.

But in their magnanimity, tolerance and wisdom, Nigerian Muslims have not come forward to demand that Arabic should be Nigeria’s second official language. For that reason alone, the plaintiff’s request for the removal of Arabic from the naira is frivolous, petty, selfish, myopic and parochial.