Religious Injusice in RSUST by Obidara Tayyib Olumide

ALL PRAISES AND ADORATONS ARE DUE TO

ALLAH, THE LORD OF THE WORLD, The Muslim

Students of Rivers State University of Sci & Tech,

Port Harcourt are facing lots of challenges in the

school, problems ranging from Demolition of the

only makeshift mosque on campus, threatening

and harassing of

Muslim students by the lecturers, fixing lectures

during Jumaat time, Examination on Eid day

( Muslim festival day).

There is no freedom of worship as a Muslim in

the school, whereas there are more than 28

fellowships on campus with over 4 gargantuan

building for their worship. This is a sideline as

the Muslims constitute all the departments in the

school even in the faculty of law.

The struggles for the acquisition of land for

worship started back in the late 19's and early

20's, since then there have not been favorable

response from the school

management. The chief Imam of the University,

Imam Oloyede Muhyideen & Our Staff Adviser

Engr B.I Bakare have tried their capable best for

us to secure a place of worship but all have

been fruitless.

Different letters were written to state governor,

the NUC (National Universities Commission),

NSCIA (Nigeria supreme council for Islamic

Affairs), but all ended like a blowing wind.

After a period of time, a space (no structure)

was adopted by the Muslim community after

which they erected a canopy, by this medium,

Muslims on campus converge in their large

numbers to observe their prayers, until a day

which cannot be forgotten in the history of the

Muslim students in the school which was the

demolishing of the makeshift mosque on 25th

Jan 2012.

Islamic materials and personal belongings were

rubbished

to the extent that 2 of the Muslim students were

locked up during the scenario by the school

securities. This prompted the Muslim community

to take the matter to the public, press

conference were made and ended up in the

federal high court

in Port Harcourt with a suit no FHC/PHC/

CS150/2012 after which victory was ascertain by

the Muslim.

The court gave its order on Feb 19th, 2013.

Ordering the School to allocate a piece of land

to the Muslims. Despite the court injunction, the

matter still continues as an appeal was sought

by the University management which took us

back to the Federal court of Appeal, Port

Harcourt.

The matter has since then been adjourned and

later now till next year. From May 2014, then to

March, May & to October 2015,and then to March

15, 2016 and from March to Jan 17, 2017. The

Muslim students are very law abiding as we do

not protest or destroy belongings but we have

been discussing with all agents to ensure that

the land is acquired. We are imploring on all

persons who have one way or the other to assist

in the issue to put forward their assistance. We

pray Almighty Allah guide everyone of us and

admit us in AlJanat

Firdaws.( Amen )

Bro Obidara Tayyib Olumide.

08109032141

MSSN RSUST