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Tag: OIC

  • OIC selects Nigeria as special delegate to halt Gaza conflict

    OIC selects Nigeria as special delegate to halt Gaza conflict

    The Federal Republic of Nigeria has been selected by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League as part of a special delegation mandated to initiate immediate international action to halt the ongoing war in Gaza.

    The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, in a statement said the message was communicated to Nigeria by the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Nigeria on Tuesday in Abuja.

    Tuggar said the the decision was taken in furtherance to the resolution adopted at the Joint Arab Islamic Extraordinary Summit on Israeli aggressions against the Palestinian people, which took place in Riyadh on Saturday.

    According to the minister, the resolution that bears Nigeria in the inclusion in the peace team states the following:

    “Assign the Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in its capacity as the presidency of the 32nd Arab and Islamic Summit, along with counterparts from Jordan, Egypt, Qatar, Türkiye, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Palestine.

    “Any other interested countries, and the Secretary-General of both organizations to initiate immediate international action on behalf of all member states of the OIC and the Arab League to formulate an international move to halt the war in Gaza.

    ” To pressure for a real and serious political process to achieve permanent and comprehensive peace in accordance with established international references.”

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nigeria was invited for the emergency joint Arab-Islamic summit in the Saudi capital Riyadh to discuss the war taking place in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian territories.

    At the summit, Tuggar said Nigeria stood firmly with the two states solution prescribed by the UN to help bring a stop to the Israeli, Palastinian war.

    Tuggar said Nigeria was ready to work collectively to bring and end to the violence and find lasting solutions to the war.

    Read Also: UN staff building in Gaza Strip attacked

    According to him, Nigeria welcomes the intervention by the OIC to emphatically add it’s voice to the call for an end to the violence and loss of lives of innocent civilians.

    Tuggar said the disproportionate use of force against the people of Gaza begs the question “how many more must die to avenge the act of aggressor.”

    He said the war against the people of Gaza cannot be contemplated in the same breath of the “Just War Doctrine” and has to stop for the sake of humanity.

    “Where is the rule of law.

    “Today live in a dated driven world, and the question is where is the evidence that the violence melted out by Israel on Gaza is having any effect on Hamas.” (NAN)

  • Arab nations urge recognition of East Jerusalem as Palestinian capital

    Arab nations urge recognition of East Jerusalem as Palestinian capital

    The leaders of 57 Muslim nations have called on the world to recognise East Jerusalem as “the occupied capital of a Palestinian state.”

    The Organisation of Islamic Co-operation declared United States President, Donald Trump’s decision to recognise the city as Israel’s capital unlawful.

    It also said the move had signalled Washington’s withdrawal from its role in the Middle East peace process, the BBC reports.

    Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas earlier said the United Nations should take over.

    In a speech to the OIC summit in Istanbul, Mr. Abbas said it would be “unacceptable” for the U.S to be the mediator “since it is biased in favour of Israel.”

    Mr. Trump said his decision was nothing more than “a recognition of reality” and that he was not taking a position on the final status issues of any peace agreement.

    The status of Jerusalem goes to the heart of Israel’s conflict with the Palestinians.

    The city is home to key religious sites sacred to Judaism, Islam and Christianity, especially in East Jerusalem.

    Israel occupied the sector, previously occupied by Jordan, in the 1967 Middle East war and regards the entire city as its indivisible capital.

    The Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state, and its final status is meant to be discussed in the latter stages of peace talks.

    Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem has never been recognised internationally, and all countries currently maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv.

    However, President Trump has announced that the U.S will eventually move its embassy.

  • Buhari seeks OIC’s support for IDPs’ resettlement

    Buhari seeks OIC’s support for IDPs’ resettlement

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, said the Federal Government will welcome support from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) for the country’s ongoing efforts to rehabilitate parts of the country affected by the Boko Haram insurgency.

    He made the remark while speaking at a meeting with the Secretary General of the OIC, Mr. Iyad Ameen Madani.

    President Buhari, in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, urged the organization to send a fact-finding mission to the ravaged states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa sin order to see the damage done by terrorists.

    The President told Mr. Madani that the fact-finding visit will help the OIC to determine the scope of assistance it can offer to Nigeria for the rehabilitation and resettlement of internally displaced persons.

    He challenged the OIC to act urgently in support of the restoration of peace, law and order to Libya which, he said, had been breeding the terrorists causing mayhem in West and Central African countries following the fall of the Muammar Gaddafi regime.

    President Buhari also agreed with Mr. Madani that Islam has been wilfully misrepresented by terrorists.

     

  • OIC partners Borno to end terrorism

    OIC partners Borno to end terrorism

    The Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC), yesterday, said it was willing to collaborate with the Borno State government to find a lasting solution to the Boko Haram insurgency in the state.

    The Secretary-General of the group, Mr Iyad Amin-Madani, made the pledge during a  visit to Governor Kashim Shettima in Maiduguri.

    Amin-Madani said the visit was to commiserate with the the government and people of the state over the numerous destruction of lives and property due to the insurgency.

    He added that the fight against terrorism required multi-dimensional approach “and the OIC is here on a solidarity visit.

    “We are ready and available to prove this solidarity beyond words and emotions.

    “We have officially described the Boko Haram as a terrorist group and we believe that conflict of this nature needs to have a wide range of solutions.

    “We must find out what keeps them going and what attracts youths to them.”

    Shettima commended the cooperation “for clearly condemning Boko Haram and their activities.

    “Your coming is a great moment in Borno, which has history of over 1000 years of Islamic civilisation.

    “The OIC is the collective voice of the Muslim world; we share in the positive ideals of the organisation which emphasises upholding Islamic social and economic values, cohesion and solidarity among member states.

    “Other ideals of the OIC are: increasing cooperation in social, economic, cultural and scientific affairs; international peace and security, and most critically, the advancement of education, particularly in the area of science and technology.

    “It is clear that these great ideals, aims and objectives of the OIC are in direct contrast with the weird ideologies of the extremist terror group, Boko Haram, that preaches violence and destruction by masquerading under the guise of Islam.”

    Shettima said his administration had gone far in addressing the root cause of the Boko Haram insurgency through well documented policies and programmes.

    He said that the programmes were checkmating  extreme poverty, social exclusivity, ignorance, and underdevelopment whose consequences manifested in extremism and terrorism.

    “With cooperation, support, partnership and collaboration with the OIC, we would conceive an organic and strategic partnership to bring development to our state to positively transform the lives of our people.

    “The presence of the Secretary-General is a resounding testimony that the OIC is ready and willing to partner with us in this tortuous journey.

    “The OIC and the Borno state government have already commenced processes of partnership through  the Islamic Development Bank  (IDB) in the areas of education and human capital development, health, agriculture, urban and rural renewal projects.”

     

  • Boko Haram’s actions against Islam, says OIC

    Boko Haram’s actions against Islam, says OIC

    •EU blacklists Boko Haram

    THE Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) has said members of the Boko Haram sect are against the teachings of Islam.

    OIC Secretary General Eiyadd Amin Madani spoke yesterday in Abuja with State House correspondents after officials of the organisation met with President Goodluck Jonathan at the State House.

    Madani said members of the sect are criminal misrepresenting Islam.

    The Secretary General said OIC officials were in Abuja to condole with President Jonathan over the deaths of Nigerians and the destruction of property by Boko Haram members.

    He said: “We are here primarily to listen to His Excellency, his vision about the OIC and the priorities of the OIC in the years to come. We also here to express our solidarity with Nigeria in facing up to this terrorist organisation and to condemn the terrorist acts they have been committing and to show our condolences to Nigerians and to the affected families.

    “The OIC has already issued statements and we are very clear that these people are outlaws. What they do is criminal acts that have nothing to do with Islam, Islamic teachings, the religion and history of Islam, the culture and civilisation of Islam. We should identify them for what they are: a terrorist group. So, we listen to the President and the Foreign Minister as well.

    “We offered anything that the OIC can do in terms of expressing supports, its willingness to be actively involved in facing up to this terrorist group.”

    Madani said the OIC is not a religious body but a political organisation.

    The Secretary General explained that the organisation  expressed concerns over the misuse of Islam, like Boko Haram has done.

    Also, the European Union (EU) yesterday announced sanctions against Boko Haram as an Al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group. This came weeks after it kidnapped over 200 schoolgirls in Chibok.

    The decision to blacklist the group follows its designation as a terrorist movement two weeks ago by the United Nations.

    Boko Haram, whose name translates loosely as “Western education is sin, was added to the EU list late last week along with Syria’s jihadist Al-Nusra Front for the People of the Levant.

    The move subjects Boko Haram and Al-Nusra as well as people or entities supporting them financially or materially to sanctions including an arms embargo, asset freeze and travel ban.

     

  • Organization of Islamic countries visit Abuja

    Organization of Islamic countries visit Abuja

  • Boko Haram misrepresenting Islam – OIC

    The Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) on Monday declared that members of the violent Boko Haram sect are not acting within the teachings of Islam.

    The Secretary General of IOC, Eiyadd Amin Madani, made the remark while speaking with State House correspondents after the group met with President Goodluck Jonathan at the State House, Abuja.

    According to him, members of the sect are criminal misrepresenting Islam.

    He said the organization was in Abuja to pay condolence visit to President Jonathan over the several deaths and destruction caused by Boko Haram activities in Nigeria.

    He said: “We are here primarily to listen to His Excellency, his vision about the OIC on the priorities of the OIC in the years to come. We also here to express our solidarity with Nigeria in facing up to this terrorist organization and to condemn the terrorist acts they have been committing and to show our condolences to Nigerian people and to the families of those who have been affected.

    “The OIC has already issued statements and we are very clear that these people are outlaws. What they do is criminal acts that have nothing to do with Islam, Islamic teaching, the religion and history of Islam, the culture and civilization of Islam and we should identify them for what they are, a terrorist group. So, we listen to His Excellency the President and the Foreign Minister as well.”

    “We offered anything that the OIC could do or expressing its supports, its willingness to be actively involved in facing up to this terrorist group.”

  • Presidency cancels FEC meeting

    Presidency cancels FEC meeting

    The weekly meeting of the Federal Executive Council did not hold at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Wednesday, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

    FEC is the highest Federal Executive decision-making body presided over by the President with the Vice-President, Secretary to the Government of the Federation and all the ministers in attendance.

    The Head of Service of the Federation and some presidential aides are also members of the Council.

    NAN reports that there is no official reason given by the presidency on why Wednesday’s meeting did not hold.

    Some ministers who were not aware of the development arrived at the villa before 10am, the usual commencement time of the meeting, but were turned back by protocol officials.

    With the absence of President Goodluck Jonathan, Vice-President Namadi Sambo would have presided over the meeting.

    Jonathan left Abuja on Tuesday night for London and Paris to confer with the British Prime Minister, David Cameron and the President of France, Francois Hollande on matters of vital interests to Nigeria, Britain and France.

    The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati, had said in a statement on Tuesday that the president would, on his way to London, stop over in Cairo, Egypt.

    He said the President would participate in the conference of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) scheduled to open there on Wednesday.

    According to Abati, the President would also attend the launch of former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s Foundation in London on Friday.

    He said the president would be back in Abuja on Monday.