An Islamic human rights group, the Muslim Rights Concern has claimed that the rejection of a Muslim Engineer who went for a job at the site of the collapsed 21-storey building on Gerrard Street, Ikoyi, Lagos, but was rejected by the developer, Femi Osibona, on account of his faith is a strong evidence of the alienation of Muslims in Yorubaland.
MURIC reacted to the development in a statement by its Director and Founder, Professor Ishaq Akintola, on Friday.
It said: “A video clip on You Tube has featured a certain Sikiru Adebowale who claimed to have gone for a job interview with the developer of the 21-storey building on Gerrard Street, Ikoyi, Lagos which collapsed on Wednesday, 2nd November, 2021. Mr. Sikiru Adebowale, a Muslim, told viewers that the developer refused to employ him because he is a Muslim.
“Expectedly, the video has gone viral. But despite the fact that millions of Nigerians have viewed the video clip, we in MURIC suspect that few people will comprehend the implications therein. Of course we as an Islamic human rights organisation must not lose sight of one salient point which is inherent in the revelation.
“That video clip is an undeniable evidence of the alienation, marginalisation, impoverisation and persecution of Yoruba Muslims by no other than their fellow Yoruba who happen to be Christians.
“We urge those who do not believe us to review the video clip and listen to Mr. Sikiru Adebowale as he was being interviewed by a television station. According to him, the man who interviewed him at the site was the developer who was a fellow Yoruba man and a Christian.
“The man who went to apply for a job at the site is also a Yoruba man but he is a Muslim. But even after the professional aspect of the interview had been held the developer still complained that the applicant could not be employed because he is a Muslim.
“He asked the applicant the name of the church he attended and the warmth melted like ice cream in the burning sun when the latter told him that he is a Muslim. As a result of this rejection, the applicant left the site in frustration. But the 21-storey building which was under construction collapsed one hour after he had left the site.
“While we congratulate Mr. Adebowale for escaping almost certain death or severe injuries, MURIC sympathises with the bereaved families, the injured victims and the Lagos State Government over this avoidable tragedy.
“But the truth which must be told is that the sad incident has exposed the sufferings of Yoruba Muslims under their overbearing and selfish Christian overlords who want all political offices, all civil service vacancies, all teaching jobs, all construction works, etc for Christians and Christians alone.
