A group, the Muslim Ummah of South West of Nigeria (MUSWEN), said it has waded into and resolved the sour relationship between the Minister of Communications, Alhaji Abdurraheem Adebayo Shittu and one of his erstwhile aide, Sheikh Tajudeen Imam, and by extension all his other aggrieved former aides, the Nigerian Tribune reports.
The misunderstanding between the minister and some of his aides over alleged unpaid entitlements had dominated the airspace for some time now, a development believed to have become a ready political tool to whip in line the minister, who is seeking to become the next governor of Oyo State in 2019.
MUSWEN disclosed this in a communique signed by its Executive Secretary, Prof. Dawud O.S. Noibi, copy of which was made available to journalists, saying that the face-off between the minister and his erstwhile aide, Sheikh Tajudeen Imam, was finally resolved at a meeting held at Islamic Mission for Africa (IMA) Centre, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital and presided over by the body’s president and former Attorney-General of the Federation Minister of Justice, Prince Bola Ajibola (SAN).
MUSWEN, while frowning at what it described as the “indecent way” the misunderstanding was handled in the public space, said it became a source of concern to patriotic Nigerians, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, consequent upon which it had to wade in as part of its religious, social and civic obligations, being the umbrella body for all Muslims in the South- West region of Nigeria, the minister’s home base.
“As part of its religious, social and civic obligations, the Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN) which is the umbrella body for all Muslims in the South West region of Nigeria, the minister’s home base, took practical steps to ensure that the cause of disagreement was adequately and amicably addressed. MUSWEN was all the more worried seeing that most of the dramatis personae in the faceoff are Muslims.
“MUSWEN’s intervention in the crisis culminated in a peace meeting which was held at the IMA Centre, Abeokuta on Sunday, 29th March 2018. The meeting involved the Honourable Minister, Barrister Abdur-Raheem Adebayo Shittu, one of his recently disengaged aides, Shaykh Tajudeen Oyebanji Imam, who represented the aggrieved aides, and top leaders of the Muslim Community in the region.
“Guided by Allah’s directive in Qur’an 49:9 & 10 and in accordance with the principle of a fair hearing, the panel allowed both parties to present their cases and clarify issues. Both parties being Muslims were reminded of the need to uphold Islamic values both in word and indeed,” the communique read.
MUSWEN, while noting that both the minister, Alhaji Shittu and erstwhile aide, Oyebanji Imam had enjoyed very cordial relationship for almost two decades before the misunderstanding, which it observed was escalated by supporters of both parties in the avoidable social media war, declared that the crisis was now adequately and amicably settled between the duo.
The Muslim body also declared that both parties also agreed to forgive each other for the way the issue got escalated in the media and that they both agreed to do all that they could to resume their relationship as brothers in Islam.
“They both agreed to henceforth put a stop to the media war. They both agreed to properly brief their respective supporters on the outcome of the mediation and the need for peace to reign between them and among our people; and against this background, and in the interest of peace, the elders appealed to other former aides of the minister to act in a similar manner,” the communique said.
