OUTCOME OF MEETING WITH NYSC DG
Alhamdulillah,

MCAN National executives had a meeting which was favourable to a significant extent with the NYSC DG; Brig. General Suleiman Zakariya Kazaure. The DG immediately acknowledged the presence of MCAN after he finished a meeting with all state coordinators and camp Commandants across the country. As soon as delegates were settled for meeting, the DG rushed into informing MCAN about the Packages already made by the scheme to ensure there is flexibility for Muslims who are fasting in the camp.

After his submissions, MCAN National Amir; Br Abdullahi Imam Ishaq informed the DG about how worried a lot of Muslims and Muslim organisations are, due to the camping period which was fixed during Ramadan. In response to this, the DG reemphasised that it was a very difficult decision to fix the date during Ramadan, he further stated that so many parents and PCMs claimed they were already too tired of sitting at home, a case of Muslim and non-Muslim PCMs who came to protest at the NYSC secretariat was also sighted, therefore the management of the scheme decided to fix the camp date as soon as money was released. The DG equally made his effort of how much he tried to communicate with some Islamic figures within the country before the date was fixed known to MCAN. After receiving some recommendations from MCAN, The following are the packages prepared for Muslim PCMs;

Identification of all Muslim Corps member: MCAN representatives across Nigeria shall be supportive during the NYSC registration process in camp to gather the list of all Muslim corps members who are fasting and design a suitable meal time table in collaboration with state coordinators for the convenience of those fasting.
Flexibility and selection of MEAL: Muslim corps members in camp shall have the opportunity to select how they want their meal to be, in terms of Solid or light meal and which kind of available meal on NYSC list they will like. This will be organised through MCAN representatives and selected Muslim corps members in camp.
Exhaustive camping activities is very much optional, any Muslim who cannot bear the camp Training should sit and watch those involved in it, however, on no account should any Muslim abuse this privilege by sleeping in the Hostel when they are not expected to.
Sisters can use their Long Hijab as they like in as much as it is white but Long Hijab should not be used on Parade ground and drill ground. The DG promised no official will disturb any sister on Hijab, However, they should be as abiding and complying as much as possible. The NYSC PRO; Mrs Aderibigbe also added to this point by advising that sister can also stay in the masjid instead of going to parade ground with long hijab.
MCAN members can volunteer to be part of cooking committee to assist in cooking food that will be suitable for fasting corps members. In respect of this point, MCAN encourages PCM who will be in camp to make themselves available to prepare sahur and iftar for their colleagues.
Muslims can spend more time in the mosque to carry out some of their religious rite which requires such, In fact , any muslim corps members who feels his fate cannot bear the camping environment as they are fasting should use the Masjid after, after they must have informed the MCAN Amir of their respective state. However, this has to be under a serious control system in order to prevent abuse of such opportunity. MCAN representatives who must have meet with state coordinators will help in coming to a consensus with the state coordinator and camp commandant in regards to this.
With a mutual understanding between MCAN executives, Members and NYSC state Management, In Shaa Allah we believe the Camping shall be successful. In respect of this, we advise all Muslim Corps members to register with MCAN on the first day of getting to camp so as to know the Total number of Corps member fasting and proper arrangement will be made for them.

Aside this, the DG assured MCAN of ensuring Hijab Is not an issue within the scheme, He also bought the idea of a proposed Unity conference to be organised by MCAN in collaboration with NCCF and NCCA. In addition, MCAN recommended to the DG that there should be provision of more NYSC lodges to accommodate both Muslims and Christian corps members, as there is record that some corps members were stranded or had nowhere to stay in states where they know no one and there are shortage of MCAN, NCCF or NCCA lodges during PPA registration process. Also, majority of the Corpers’ lodges are rented by these bodies at outrageous cost. The DG gave the assurance that the issue will be looked into and ideas on way forward are welcomed. At the end, MCAN presentend some gift items to the DG.



Finally, In as much as the camping will be less demanding for those fasting and measures has been put in place to Protect the spirituality of Muslims during this camp, WE PLEADE TO ALL MUSLIM CORPS MEMBERS NOT TO ABUSE THE PRIVILEDGE and report anyone who might take advantage of such privilege to the right authorities. Additionally, the second Phase of MCAN registration shall be done in the camp Mosque.



NOTE:

ON THE FIRST DAY IN CAMP, MUSLIM PCMS SHOULD SUBMIT AN A4 SHEET, WITH THEIR NAMES, PHONE NUMBERS , STATE CODE AND WHATSAPP NUMBER TO MCAN OFFICIALS IN CAMP. THIS CAN BE HANDED OVER TO MCAN OFFICIALS WHILE PCM QUEUE ON THE LINE FOR NYSC REGISTRATION.



On this note, everyone cannot be satisfied but this is how far Allah has brought MCAN in regards to the issue at hand. We therefore seek the forgiveness of Allah wherever we went wrong.



PLEASE, KINDLY ENSURE TO SHARE TO 2016 stream, ii PCMs BECAUSE IT IS USEFUL TO THEM. JazakAllahu khaira (May Allah "God" reward you with goodness)

APENA IBRAHIM ADEBOYE
National Public Relations Officer.
MUSLIM CORPERS' ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (MCAN)
call : 08108316118
Text : 08103553734.

‪#‎MCAN2016‬
‪#‎MCANCares‬
Facebook : MCAN National

Mille:
Nawa o.

If you feel your religious obligations will not allow you participate in the scheme, defer to batch B. It's as simple as that.

Nigeria is a secular country and as such, no religious group has a right to hold the country to ransom.

MrMcJay:
We want to read a press release from the Muslim Rights Concern as regards the following incidents.
These guys would wrote long essays on food and clothing. When it is time for condemning evil, they keep mute.

1. Genocide by Islamic Fulani Herdsmen.
2. Beheading of the 74-year old woman in Kano.
3. Attempted murder of a non-muslim man for not fasting during Ramadan.

nuted:

Yes it is a secular country, but a country must always make policies that suits the lifestyle of its people.... you should realize that Nigeria is a multi religious country as such the policies must reflect that...!

Talkingboy:
To prospective corpers in the house....

9th June, 2016,

PRESS RELEASE:

NO TO NYSC CAMP IN RAMADAN

Authorities of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) 2016/17 Batch A Stream 2 (II) has announced 13th June as the new date of opening camp.

We of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) hereby reject this date because Muslim corpers will still be fasting at that time. It is illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional for NYSC to hold camp at a time when its Muslim members will be deprived of their freedom of worship and the liberty to practice their creed without fear. This planned camp is exclusive, discriminatory and parochial.

Any Nigerian institution dealing with schedules and programmes particularly the NYSC whose programmes are of such magnitude is expected to consider the dates and periods of important festivals, rituals and religious practices. This should form the core of its logistics. It is our humble opinion that NYSC headquarters has failed in its strategic planning by allowing its next camp to clash with the Ramadan period.

What happened to 21stMay, 2016 which was the date earlier picked for the orientation? We do not want to believe that the shift was deliberately planned to coincide with the Ramadan season with a view to excluding prospective Muslim corpers.

MURIC is not trying to indulge Muslim youths. Fasting is no joke and it certainly cannot be combined with the physical challenges which characterize the NYSC camp. Eligible Muslim graduates will definitely want to be part of the service but the obstacles standing in their way are gargantuan.

Firstly, morning drills in NYSC camps are known to be rigorous and the soldiers in charge will not take excuses. Dehydration sets in later in the day particularly in the hotter regions of Nigeria. Ramadan period is therefore not the best time to hold NYSC orientation camp.

Secondly, adequate sahuur(early morning meal taken approximately between 4 am and 5.15 am) cannot be guaranteed in the NYSC camp. Neither can thefutuur (meal taken at sunset to break fast ) be timely as camp schedules are bound to ignore and subsume this very important period.

Thirdly, attending orientation camp and partaking in the energy-sapping activities on empty stomach is an indubitable invitation to health crisis. NYSC may therefore be inviting Muslim corpers to step on landmines in the planned orientation camp if it holds as presently scheduled.

The fourth issue is the spiritual angle. There is more to Ramadan than ordinary fasting. That is on the surface. The whole month of Ramadan is a period of spiritual dedication. There are so many other spiritual exercises in which Muslims engage, the tafsiir (exegesis of the Qur’an) session, thetaraawih (late evening supererogatory prayers) and nawaafil (night supererogatory prayers). Only the deep can call to the deep. All these cannot be possible in the NYSC camp.

Can this timing be a trap waiting for Muslim corpers who dare to complain about delays in breaking their fast? A hungry man, they say, is an angry man. Can NYSC authorities assure the nation that hungry Muslim corpers will not be constrained to vent their spleen? Can they further assure us that no Muslim corper will be sanctioned on account of such behavior?

Unlike the Islamophobic climate expected in an NYSC camp organized in Ramadan, what happens during Ramadan in Muslim-friendly environments is that both primary and secondary schools close for the day around 2 pm. Lectures in tertiary institutions stop from 3 pm while civil servants also leave their offices by 2 pm. If Muslims are not asking the Nigerian government to do this, its agencies should not become blatant tools of oppression.

Religious crisis is common in Nigeria due to the overzealousness and insensitivity of some government officials. Official policies in this country often fail to take our cultural and religious plurality into consideration.

For the avoidance of doubts, we affirm that fasting is compulsory for every Muslim adult (Qur’an 2:183) and any obstacle put in the way of Muslims to make it impossible for them to fast is an encroachment on their Allah-given fundamental human right and a flagrant violation of Section 38 (I) & (II) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The clear message we are sending to NYSC officials here is that the camp planned to begin on 21stMay 2016 constitutes a serious impediment to the religious observation of Muslims. It is exclusive, sectional and parochial. The planned camp should be put in abeyance for now in the interest of peace. A stitch in time saves nine.

Muslim youths throughout the country are bitter and furious at the thought of being disallowed to fast in the month of Ramadan. The best which NYSC headquarters can do for Nigeria now is to postpone the camp till the end of Ramadan. This country needs peace and stability to develop. We have had enough religious crises. NYSC should not stoke another.

Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)