A non-governmental organisation, At-Tanzil Islamic Foundation, has expressed concern over what it described as the marginalisation of Muslims in governance and public appointments in Ondo State, urging Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to ensure inclusiveness in the administration of the state.
The founder and chairman of the foundation, Abdul Ajiboye, made the call during a press conference in Akure to commemorate the organisation’s 20th anniversary.
Ajiboye said Muslims constitute a significant percentage of the state’s population and should be adequately represented in key government positions.
According to him, Muslims have continued to support successive governments in the state but have not been fairly accommodated in major appointments.
“We, the Muslims in Ondo State, are like 45 per cent of the population. How can we have a governor who is a Christian, deputy governor a Christian, Secretary to the State Government a Christian, and Speaker of the House a Christian? We voted for them, yet we are being counted out of governance,” he said.
“In Ondo State, we have several judges on the bench, and there is no single Muslim among them. We have refused to keep quiet on this,” Ajiboye said.
The foundation specifically cited the recent appointment of high court judges, alleging that a qualified Muslim candidate who emerged as the top performer in the examination process was overlooked.
“We clamour for balanced recognition of people of all faiths in the governance of Ondo State, where a Muslim will serve as deputy governor to a Christian governor, and vice versa,” he added.
Reflecting on the foundation’s two decades of existence, Ajiboye said the organisation was established to address the needs of vulnerable people and promote community development across Ondo State.
“We set up this foundation to look into the affairs of our people in the community. Many people have benefited from our training programmes throughout Ondo State. In the last session of our anniversary programme alone, over 250 people were trained, with participants drawn from the central, south and northern senatorial districts,” he said.
He noted that the foundation remains committed to expanding access to education, empowering women and youths, providing humanitarian assistance, and building partnerships with government agencies, non-governmental organisations and members of the diaspora.
News Credit to our media partner Daily Trust .
