Impending Crisis In Ebonyi Over Takeover Of Islamic Center Afikpo

The Muslim community of Afikpo North local government area of Ebonyi state is angry over the imposition of the leadership of the Islamic Center Afikpo by the International Islamic Relief Organization (IIRO) without consideration of Muslim scholars from the community. To that effect, the Muslim youths have vowed to resist any imposition of leadership on the school.  

The International Islamic Relief Organization (IIRO) recently took over the activities of the school from the Muslim World League (MWL) popularly called Rabita, due to the inability of the later to sustain its aids which has caused retrogression in the academic standard it had built in the past. It is a fact that the League founded the International Islamic Relief Organization in 1978. That makes it more confusing how IIRO was drafted into the Islamic Center’s matter.

The Centre, founded in 1958 by Sheikh Ibrahim Nwagui from Anofia where it is situated, was established to create Islamic awareness and preach peaceful coexistence in non-Muslim Southeast of Nigeria. It has undergone stages of survival as it was unnecessarily reduced to educational setup which, though, has actually trained a lot of Nigerians who are excelling in different professional and academic establishments.

The MWL came to rehabilitate the Center around 1981, long after the civil war that left it deserted, through the efforts of indigenous Muslims from Afikpo who studied in Saudi Arabia. The last administration was led by Dr. Fadlu Khalud in Abuja and Sheikh Mama Usman who handed over the leadership to IIRO. But IIRO, on the other hand, has constituted the administrative leadership to take over with no scholar from Afikpo making the list. Letters by the Afikpo Committee of Ulama’ and the extended family members of the founder of the Center were totally ignored.

“This is not possible in any part of Nigeria. Allah sent prophets and messengers from the people they were sent, so that they can understand them. That is a divine wisdom. The Muslim World League came to the Center and caused certain level of disaffection amongst Muslims of Afikpo. The situation has worsened. Why should IIRO tow the same path by trying to impose on the school an unacceptable leadership?”

“Afikpo Muslim community can boast of many illustrious Islamic scholars who studied in different fields at the Islamic University, Madinah, Saudi Arabia, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt, in Sudan and in Niger. They command Islamic and Arabic knowledge. What is really wrong? Why this oppression on Muslims of Afikpo? We think it is time to challenge this injustice from the Muslim World League and its offshoot, the IIRO.”

“We demand that IIRO chooses the director and principal of the school from amongst the well-qualified Afikpo Muslim scholars, so that the original aims and objectives of the establishment of the Center can be actualized.”

Signed

Alhaji Suleiman Afikpo                                               Mallam Abdulqadir Nnachi

Chairman of the Committee                                           Public Relations Officer (PRO)

THE LETTER TO IIRO

The letter with reference no: EBSMUCO/ESG/15/01 dated June 29, and signed by over ten scholars from Afikpo under the auspices of Committee of Ulama’ reads:

Praise is to Allah, the lord of the universe and may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon Prophet Muhammad……

It is the honour of the Ulama committee of Afikpo Muslim Community to acknowledge the great news of Islamic Centre Anofia being transferred to your renowned organization. We welcome and appreciate such sponsorship stride, and pray Allah to protect and guide your Excellency in making the best decisions that will bring revival of Islam in Igboland and Nigeria at large.

While the above Committee commends your Excellency’s standing reputations and recognizes your efforts to see to the revival of Islamic centre Afikpo, we the host community ulama wishes to make these vital recommendations that will bring about effective and smooth running of the Centre.

We hereby write to remind you of the fierce urgency of change of administration and need to appoint an indigenous director to Islamic centre Afikpo.

• The majority of Igbo refer to Muslims in Igboland as Hausas due to the fact that almost all the Islamic Institutions in the region, like Islamic Centre Afikpo, are headed by non-indigenes and has not empowered any of the numerous Igbo Muslim scholars as the head.  This however, feed the wrong notion that ‘Islam is not for Igbo-man’, because they see all the Institutions as foreign organisations that serve the interest of Hausa communities in the area.
• All the Islamic Institutions in Igboland suffer attacks from the agitators like, indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB), MASSOB agitators or the Christian dominated Afikpo Town Welfare Association (ATWA), etc.   If the few Islamic Institutions in Eastern Nigeria were headed by indigenous Igbo Muslim Scholars, the agitators will not attack them knowing that some Igbo Muslims are also their members, so that they won’t start internal wrangle within their ranks.
• The foundation of Islamic centre Anofia was built on Da’wah. The founder, Sheikh Ibrahim Nwagui successfully converted Igbo villages to Islam and also influenced the spread of the religion to many towns across Igboland through preaching Islam in Igbo language. Most of his converts have returned back to kufr because there was no follow up leadership. With Indigenous head to Islamic Centre Afikpo, Da’wah will be revived and Islam will spread faster among Igbo people. Confiscation of Islamic Institution’s Property (e.g: ATWA taking over Islamic Centre’s Building at Afikpo Town) will not repeat. All the existing about fifty Christian churches and organizations in Anofia village has trained indigenous leaders who know the culture and laws of the land. Leadership of Afikpo Islamic Scholar will block impeding future obstacles (in sha Allah).

The committee wishes to use this medium to bring to you Excellency’s notice some of the resolutions reached in our meeting of 27^thJuly 2018.

Resolutions:

1. The Committee of Ulama of Afikpo Muslim Community seek the urgent need for change in the administration of Islamic centre Afikpo,
2. That we will welcome and support the appointment of an indigenous Director, and a competent foreign Principal or assistant director of any nationality for Islamic centre Afikpo.
3. That the school shall constitute Board of Directors among the notable Muslim elders from across the Nigeria, including old Students Association of the school (OSAISA),
4. That an independent department for Da’wah be created to sustain continued Da’wah activities in the area
5. That the committee found these three individual members fully qualified and reputable in the community at large, and are recommending them for the position;
6. Mohammad Amechi b. Ali (PhD).
7. Suleman Agha Afikpo (PhD Cand)
8. Ustadh Muhammad Ajah Obiahu

We write, Your Excellency, to bring these issues to your knowledge and hope it will be treated with wisdom and to dilute any wrong notion that Igbo Muslims are not qualified enough to manage Islamic Institution in their states of origin. We also use the medium to appeal to you to carry us along on decisions concerning Islamic Centre and Islam in Nigeria at any given capacity. May Almighty Allah guide, protect and give you wisdom as you make the choices.

N/B: The undersigned members are reputable Islamic Scholars from Afikpo zones alone.