Jumat Prayer: MURIC calls for postponement of NDLEA exam

The Islamic human rights organisation, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has called for the immediate postponement of the coming National Drug Law Enforcement Agent (NDLEA) promotion examination.
The group made the call as one of the courses to be taken during the forthcoming examination of the NDLEA clashes with the Friday Jumu’ah prayer.
MURIC in a statement issued by its director and founder, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, recently said, “The course, DDR, which stands for Drug Demand Reduction, is scheduled for 1130 to 1330 hours (i.e. 11.30 am to 1.30 pm) on Friday 16th August, 2019. The course is billed to be taken by officers of the rank of CSN, meaning Chief Superintendent of Narcotic.
“This is the height of religious apartheid. There is nobody in this country who does not know when Muslims go for prayer on Friday. We are shocked that a major federal agency will do this. It is naïve, jejune and infantile. We are nonplussed that at a time when Europeans and Americans are announcing to participants at their conferences that special large rooms have been provided for Muslims in attendance to offer Salat, a prominent federal paramilitary unit is making it impossible for Muslims to observe the Jumu’ah prayer thereby embarking on the repression of Muslims and denying them their Allah-given fundamental human rights.
“Why didn’t NDLEA fix the examination on a Sunday? That is where the Christianisation comes in. The Christian day of worship is highly revered and respectfully set aside as a sacred day. Thou shalt not touch Sunday. But Friday is violated by every Dick and Harry. It is abused to humiliate Muslims including senior Muslim officers. They are tied down to write some repressive examinations or remain seated at endless and meaningless meetings while the Jumu’ah prayer is being observed by other Muslim faithful. Is that fair? This examination timetable is capable of plunging NDLEA into a huge controversy.
MURIC appealed to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha and the Chief of Staff (SGF) to the President, Abba Kyari, to call NDLEA to order adding that those who have been due for promotion for so long should be elevated before any new promotion examination can be justifiable. The SGF should see to this.
“In addition, we call for immediate postponement of the coming NDLEA promotion examination. It is repressive and lopsided. The exercise should come up only after those who travelled for hajj have returned to the country. The timetable must also be reviewed forthwith. No examination should be held during Jumu’ah prayer.”