Islamic Group Flays Nigerian Army for Screening Recruits During Ramadan

A coalition of 50 Islamic propagation organisations under the umbrella of the Da’awah Coordination Council of Nigeria (DCCN) yesterday flayed the Nigerian Army for conducting screening exercises for recruits during the Ramadan fast.

It also berated the management of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) for opening an orientation camp during fasting.

The groups made this known at a press briefing by Malam Lawal Maidoki in Sokoto.

He noted with dismay that despite pleas, appeals and protests, the two institutions have continued to put some Nigerian Muslim youths to the rigours and temptation of their respective camps in the sacred Ramadan period.

According to him, this act of insensitivity betrays the contempt with which Islam and its sanctity are being treated by such common national symbols as the Nigerian Army and the NYSC.

“As Muslim organisations, we consider the scheduling of the selection and the training exercises by the two institutions as a deliberate attempt of shortchanging the Muslim youths,” Maidoki said.

He maintained that the only solution to this clear injustice lies in the avoidance of all training and selections in the camps during the period of Ramadan.

Maidoki reminded the Muslims of the need to utilise the period of Ramadan to pray to live to witness a better Nigeria where all Nigerians will be treated equally.

“Nigerian Muslims do not regard as any good gesture the exemption of Muslim youths from the rigours of the training in the Ramadan period.

“On the contrary, we regard such gesture as another denial of fundamental opportunity to get exposed to the diverse survival skills the camp such as that of the NYSC stands to offer,” Maidoki added.