MSSN urges Asuu to call off strike

The Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN) has called on the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to call off the ongoing strike in the interests of Nigerian students, who have always been the victims of the strike actions.

It also persuaded the striking lecturers to design other means of pressing home their demands, noting that the strikes have always resulted in the destabilisation of schools’ academic calendar and uncertainty in the schooling period of an average Nigerian student.

The National Amir of the MSSN, Mallam Abdulazeez Sirajudeen, made this call while delivering a speech  at the MSSN, Zone-B second annual symposium themed, ’Putting a stop to endemic corruption’.

The event, which was held on September 21, at the Olusegun Obasanjo Preisdential Library, Abeokuta, saw Muslim students turn out en masse for the lecture.

Sirajudeen, equally urged the Federal Government to adequately see to the demands of ASUU, while he described as undemocratic, the denial of Muslim children either by state legislations or school administrators the right to exercise their religious rights while in school, adding that Muslim female students must not be disallowed from wearing hijab if they wish to do so.

‘’We are Muslims and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria permits us to profess and practise our religion. And as such, nobody can force us to live other than the lifestyle prescribed by Al-Islam,” he said.

Speaking on the theme of the symposium, a former National Chairman of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Mr

Olasupo Ojo, stressed that the only way to stop corruption in the country was for individuals; both leaders and followers, to always examine their minds in everything they do, adding that the true test of morality lies in the mind.

“You will not find solution to corruption in laws or judgments, democracy or in any human endeavour, but the solution can only be found in the mind. To stop corruption, we should examine our minds, because every decision and action we take comes from there,” Olasupo enthused.

Speaking on ‘The role of leadership in stopping the endemic corruption’, Dr. Taofeek AbdulAzeez, a lecturer at the Department of English and Literary Studies, University of Abuja, maintained that “leaders have a role to play in putting an end to corrupt practices, as they are usually the authors, perpetrators, orchestrators and patrons of corruption.”

He added that every individual is a leader and shall be questioned about how they led their followers away from or towards corruption.

The highlight of the occasion was the presentation of donations by dignitaries present towards the development and completion of the ongoing projects at the MSSN B-zone Islamic Vacation Course (IVC) permanent site along Lagos-Ibadan expressway, Ogunmakin, Ogun State.

Also present at the event were Prince Bola Ajibola, former judge at the International Court of Justice (ICJ); the State Deputy Chief of Staff, Alhaji Shuaib Salisu; and Alhaji Yusuf Olaniyonu, Ogun State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, among others.

Hameed Muritala
(400-level, Mass Communication, UNILORIN)