"Southwest deployed education to tame youth restiveness "

Amir of The Muslim Congress(TMC), Mr. Luqman AbdurRaheem has observed that education remains the only veritable tool to tackle all forms of extremism, saying this was the method adopted in the southwest region of the country which has kept terrorism at bay.

He stated this during the formal opening of the 22nd  National Islamic Training Programme (NITP), held at Odosengolu near Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State.

He said, "If you look at The Muslim Congress and other responsible Islamic organizations in the South West, you see that we have been able to give our youth proper education. So, it is very difficult to lure Muslims in South West to some of these criminal activities because all our organizations are registered by government.

"There is need for collaboration and idea sharing, that is why we are not limiting our activities to South West. As we speak, we have established a branch in Abuja, a branch in Niger and within the last week we are also working with our brothers in Yobe State who have seen the need to associate with the responsible Islamic organization".

He highlighted  bad governance, corruption, and godlessness as some of the factors

responsible for Nigeria's woes.

Abdulraheem said Nigerians must imbibe positive attitudinal change to move the country forward.

“Our change is different from the APC’s change and PDP’s  transformation agenda. Rather it is more all-embracing because change in Islam is rooted in morality, piety and goodness.

"We need Muslims with a clear change vision, a comprehensive Da’wah programme, having fixed priorities and well defined strategies to change Nigeria for the best", he said.

The cleric also spoke on the recent clash between the Nigerian Army and the Shiites community in Kaduna in which scores of the group’s  members were killed.

"We are not anti-state. Any organization that is anti-state, it means building a state within a state, and that is terrorism. We should respect military; we should respect the police, because they are there to protect lives and property.

"Once you said you don’t recognize them, then you have problem. That is what happened to Shiites in Nigeria. So, you don’t indoctrinate your people. Let them be informed, let them be educated. So that where you and government clash on ideological ground, you go to court.

"For instance, if you look at the issue of Hijab, we are in court with some other organizations. But in some part of the world, they will start demonstrating, killing, causing commotion, that is terrorism. We don’t allow that in our own organization.”

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