By joshua 
– appoints Mallam Zakariya’u, Aliyu (SAN) as coordinator, Chair
BY MOHAMMED YABAGI
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has formally kick-started its operations in Kogi State, with Alhaji Zakariya’u Abubakar as the coordinator and Alhaji Abdullahi Aliyu (SAN) as Chairman.
Speaking at the maiden General Meeting where the council also addeessed the press, Alhaji Zakariya’u said activities of MURIC in Kogi State shall centre on fighting for the rights of Muslims at any time it is violated, denied and refusal to enjoy same.
According to him, “It is aimed at promoting and supporting all efforts geared towards ensuring peace, harmony unity and peaceful coexistence. It is to react to contemporary issues as they affect the Muslims by expressing Islamic views through all communication outfits. It douses tension whenever there is a threat to our collective peaceful atmosphere.
Alhaji Zakariya’u equally expressed gratitude to stakeholders and Interim Executive Members of State MURIC for working tirelessly for the success of the body so far, and restated their dedication to ensure the objectives of the body in the state are achieved.
The coordinator noted that Islam furnishes most educative patterns and instances to those who want to discern between right and wrong and who are willing to accept its timely admonitions of the consequences of evil and falsehood.
He added that the faith brings salvation to its adherents, ensure moral strength to its believers, brings perpetual peace and comfort to its faithful followers and considerable power of resistance against sins and vices.
“Islam is the brightest path and the clearest highway to salvation. Its illustrious principles excel in glory and nobleness; its ways are distinct, perfect and its brilliant precepts bring enlightenment to those who live in the darkest ignorance of truth. Confirmation of truth and justice are its ways, enlightenment of humanity is its main objective, to expect and to face death boldly and nobly remains one of its cardinal teachings,” he noted.
In his address, the Kogi State Chairman of MURIC, Alhaji Abdullahi Aliyu (SAN) expressed gratitude to the leadership for its resolve to ensure the body gets a sound footing in the state, noting their resolve to fight for cause of rights of people in the state.
Highlight of the occasion was a paper presentation by the Chief Registrar of Kogi State Shariah Court of Appeal, Justice Muhammad Bello, qur’anic recitation and prayers for the Ummah.
*Naira scarcity: Lokoja based sex workers count losses*
BY MOHAMMED YABAGI
For Maureen Adah, a sex worker in Lokoja, the Kogi State Capital, the curent currency crunch is a bad business for her and her colleagues, as they have become frustrated and can’t wait to see it end.
The same with Mariah Andrew and one of their colleagues who simply identified herself as Hannah.
The visibly angry Hannah recalled how a man spent a night with at a hotel near Phase II Area of Lokoja, only to tell her the next morning that he had no cash on him and that he would do transfer.
In her words, “Could you believe that the transfer turned to be fake? It was unfortunate for me not to have taken my ATM ATM Card with me that day. It was after I got back that I went to the POS operator only to be told there was insufficient funds in my account.
“It was so frustrating, but knowing the man was only a guest at the hotel, there was no way I could have gone back to look for him. That was why how the man went away with my sweat. But in the end, if not for the unfortunate policy, I am sure he would not have escaped with my money.”
On her part, Mariah said she had been duped twice by men as a result of the policy. “The first was a ‘short-term.’ The man just whipped out his phone and pretended to transfer the money. He said he could not withdraw money from the ATM points and that there was network problem, but showed me his phone and said he had made the transfer, but till today, I have not seen my money. Any day I see the man, I am going to collect my money.
“The second one was the issue of fake transfer. I even got an alert for that one, not knowing it was a scam alert. The man even used my place for the work. We were together from seven O’Clock in the evening, until 12 midnight and after ‘three rounds,’ only for him to do that to me.”
Others who spoke with our reporter said they no longer accept transfer and have made up their minds that any man that requires their services would have to get physical cash.
Others stated that a few of their colleagues have down tools after the harrowing experiences they have been through in the hands of unscrupulous customers until the cash situation in the country stabilizes.
Monica James sums it more succinctly by saying, “For now it is money for hand and back for ground. We have all learnt our lessons and we no longer want to allow any man to defraud us in the name of ‘no cash’.”