The
Presidency on Monday said President Goodluck Jonathan was not using his office
to pursue anti-Muslim agenda as being alleged in some quarters. Dr Reuben
Abati, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, said this
on Monday in Abuja while speaking with State House correspondents. Abati was
reacting to a number of allegations made by the Muslims Right Concern (MURIC)
through its Director, Prof. Ishaq Akintola against the president. “Our
attention has been drawn to a press statement issued by the Muslims Right
Concern and signed by its Director, Prof. Ishaq Akintola which made a number of
allegations against President Jonathan. “I find Akintola’s allegations rather
curious and they can be dealt
with as follows: first, he needs to be told that
President Jonathan is not anti-Muslim as he alleges’’. “Jonathan is the
President of all Nigerians, whatever may be their beliefs’’. “It is not true
that the president is using the highest office in the country to promote Zion
nation.’’
According
to him, I think that is a most unfortunate statement coming from Akintola of
MURIC and for which they owe President Jonathan an apology. Abati also faulted
allegation by the group that Muslims were marginalised in the recent national
conference, describing it as a very unfortunate thing to say. He noted that the
national conference had been praised and adjudged one of the best of such
conferences ever organised in the country. “It was a purposeful conference, a
conference in which a lot of maturity was displayed. Religion did not become a
big issue in that conference. “Rather, the conference became a platform for
addressing many issues of general concern to various groups, ethnic or religious.
“MURIC cannot claim not to know that was a very successful conference,’’ he
added.
Abati
described as a blatant lie allegation by the group that the security system in
the Presidential Villa was saturated with Israeli security operatives. He emphasised
that there were no Israeli security operatives saturating the security system
in Aso Rock. The president’s aide invited Akintola to visit the Presidential
Villa to see whether it was Israelis that were in charge of security.
According to
him, the security operatives in the Villa are not foreigners, they are
Nigerians and there is no connection with Israel whatsoever. Abati added that
Akintola’s “vituperation’’ on the proposed centenary N100 banknote was wrong
and misinformed.
“The symbol
his statement is referring to is the Star of David. There is nowhere on that
note as indicated in the specimen that has been widely publicised where there
is any Jewish or Zionist symbol or the Star of David. “The Star of David is a
hexagram which is two triangles of equal lines superimposed on each other. The
hexagram is a very popular symbol but it is not on that naira note. “The symbol
that he is referring to is not a Jewish symbol. It is what they call spark
security feature.’’
He said;
“it is an optical magnetic feature which enables the public to authenticate a
currency note whether it is genuine or counterfeit. That is the function of
that particular design.’’
“That
design is not a hexagram and it is not in any way associated with Israel or
Jewish or Zionism.
“It is two
squares merged into one with a Manila briquette, which is a symbol of the cowry
money used during the colonial era. “It is an attempt on the part of MURIC to
cause disaffection, because on the design of that note, the value of that note
is written out in the three major languages in Nigeria, recognised in the
constitution: Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa.’’
According
to him, no attempt has been made to use this proposed naira note to
discriminate anybody, and the attack on President Jonathan is undeserved,
unwarranted and totally unkind.
“I believe
that MURIC will see the need to quickly apologise for misleading the public and
for issuing that kind of statement that can cause disaffection against the
president,’’ he said.
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