According to Punch Newspaper, The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has criticised the Federal Government and the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) over what it described as religious bias in the allocation of free train rides during festive seasons. The Islamic rights group accused the authorities of favouring Christians during Christmas while neglecting Muslims during their own religious celebrations.
In a statement released by the group’s Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, MURIC expressed discontent over what it called “institutionalised partiality.” Akintola stated, “We are deeply concerned that the Federal Government and the Nigerian Railway Corporation continue to provide free train rides for Christians during Christmas, yet Muslims are consistently ignored during Eid-el-Fitr and Eid-el-Kabir. This is discriminatory and sends a wrong signal in a multi-religious society like Nigeria.”
Akintola stressed that government policies should be inclusive and reflect the nation’s religious diversity. “What message is the NRC passing across by this biased practice? Is the government telling us that only Christian festivals matter? Where is the equity? Where is the fairness?” he asked.
He noted that such practices violate the constitutional principle of equality and could potentially threaten national cohesion. “The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria guarantees freedom from discrimination. By this action, the government is promoting one religion above others. This must stop,” Akintola said.
MURIC also called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene and instruct relevant agencies to correct what it termed an “unjust” policy. “ and ensure that Muslims are not treated as second-class citizens in their own country,” Akintola urged.
The group added that while it supports the idea of free rides to ease travel burdens during festive periods, the benefits must be equitably distributed among adherents of all faiths. “Let every religious group enjoy the same level of attention and consideration. That is the essence of democracy and justice,” Akintola concluded.
As of the time of filing this report, the Federal Government and the Nigerian Railway Corporation have not responded to MURIC’s allegations.
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