Muslim Organizations Wants Army Recruitment, NYSC Camp Shifted For Ramadan

The Da’awah Coordination Council of Nigeria (DCCN), an umbrella body in Nigeria for Da’awah Organizations/Institutions has threatened to boycott the army recruitment

exercise and NYSC camp if the exercises are not shifted during the Ramadan period.

The DCCN include; National Council of Muslims Youth Organizations, Muslims Students Society, Islamic Education Trust, Muslim Sisters organisation, Jamatul Muslmeen sokoto, Council of Ulam’a; Council of Da’awah and Welfare of Coverts and Jama’atu Nasril Islam.

Others are; Women in Da’awah, Nat Association of Arabic and Islamic Studies, NATAIS, Federation of Muslim women Associations, UNN Muslim Umma, Enugu, Islamic Medical Association Of Nigeria. World Assembly Of Muslim Youth, Adabiyyah Kamaliya, Islamic missioners Association, ilorin among others.

The position of the Islamic organisations was contained in the text of the press conference jointly signed by the National President and National Secretary General Muhammad Lawal Maidoki and Engr. Ahmad M.Y. Jumba respectively addressed in Kaduna on Monday.

The text reads, "DCCN wishes to remind Nigeria Government and its Parastatals such as the Nigeria Army and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) that Muslims are part of Nigeria and indeed constitute majority of its population.

"The Council finds it imperative to issue this statement due to insensitivity of the Government and its Agencies on National Programmes and activities that concern all Nigerians; a typical example is the 76th Nigeria Army Regular Recruits Intake, Zonal Screening Exercise from 27th May-9th June 2017 in Ramadan 1438 On which successful candidates Will continue throughout Ramadan. Similarly, the NYSC is holding another Orientation Camp from 27th May – 17th June, 2017.

"This action will subject the Muslim Candidates and Corps members to unnecessary hardship and divert their attention from the required attention of every Muslim in Ramadan of spiritual attention/dedication.

Participants may have to stop fasting or break it or fail to qualify in the Camp activities. We cannot understand why only Muslim sensitivities will be treated with lack of consideration.

"Therefore, we call on the Acting President His Excellency Professor Yemi Osinbajo to immediately prevail on the Nigerian Army and the NYSC to stop the Camps and shift the dates till after Ramadan.

Failure to do so, may lead to advising Muslim leadership in Nigeria to call on Muslims to boycott the Camps and any other National activities of this nature that involve Muslims in Nigeria in Ramadan.

"We equally call on the leadership of the National Assembly to halt the Camp and call to order the leadership of the Nigeria Army and the NYSC.

Furthermore; we are using this medium to call on all Paramilitary outfits and MDAS of the country to respect Muslim rights and values in the interest of peace and harmony. Even in the western countries where Muslims are Minorities their rights are respected and protected".