The statement from the CJN as published in the news media include:
- That the Constitution should be amended to accommodate more aspect of Sharia law
- That academics should champion the issue of redesigning the methods of teaching Sharia law
- That Sharia law should have its own faculty
- That Muslims in Nigeria have the number to amend the Constitution to suit their position as Muslims
- Sharia should be taught in Arabic not English
Apart from the fact that the CJN is the head of a country’s Judiciary that is predominantly Common Law jurisdiction, the manner in which Sharia crept into its jurisdiction left much to be desired.
Common law is the body of law derived from judicial decisions rather than from statute or Constitution while Sharia on the other hand, is a system of laws rather than a codification of laws, based on the Quran and other Islamic sources. “Sharia cannot be amended to conform to changing Human values and standards. Rather it is the absolute norm to which all human values and conduct must conform.” That explains why the British colonial master had to insist on repugnancy law, which means that Sharia and Native law must conform with Natural Justices, Equity and Good Science because the courts during colonialism would apply them. Islamic jihad, stealth and conventional, gender inequality, honor killing, etc, are not compatible with Common Law principles.
The other issue in the CJN’s statement that academics should re-design Sharia and that it be given a separate faculty independent of the main law faculty. That Sharia law should be taught in Arabic not English – shows the supremacy of Islam. Common Law principles now being enforced in Nigeria is considered inadequate by Islamists. To them, Nigeria must have two systems, one for Muslims and another for Nigerians to illustrate their superiority. On the question of teaching in Arabic, this also display the weakness of Black African Muslims – the Negroids, who believe that Islam demands that they should be Arabs, a mentality which Asian Muslims do not have. As Arab Negroids, they are superior to African Negro that made up Nigeria forgetting the fact that but for the Nigerian Negro, cities and facilities in North/West and North/Eastern States would have remained pre-medieval as amalgamation provided the finance and knowledge for the development of all Nigerians including the Negroid states of the North.
The last issue to be considered is whether the Muslim majority is sufficient to alter the Constitution. The statement by the CJN is nothing but taqiyya, an aspect of Islamic law that translates as “deceit or dissimulation” particularly towards infidels. [Quran 3.28 and 16: n06] Taqiyya is practiced by main Muslims aand it is prevalent in Islamic politics in modern era. The message of the CJN therefore is meant for Muslims to maintain two different messages - one for faithful present at the lecture hall and the other to non-Muslim audience in the Supreme Court at Abuja.
The conclusion to be drawn from the statement of the CJN is that the methods used since the period of Othman Dafodio and the British after then was "majority" with guns, is still applicable in today’s Nigeria. In 1908, there were 399 British officers in a protectorate of Northern Nigeria with 300,000 square miles and over 7 million populations [BBC Witness] with the British officers were in the majority.
Since independence, the Negroids have managed to install Negros in positions of authority whether Christians or Muslims; because the Negriods controlled almost all the important positions in the three arms of government. The Negriods established two dominant parties - APC and PDP, the CJN feels that is it time that Muslims “superiority” in number should reflect in one Nigeria with two systems – one Sharia and the other Democracy. It is very clear that the CJN has reduced educated Negro Nigerians no matter how learned as inferior to Negroids with Islamic education. In my paper titled Christians must not Destroy Democracy from Within, published by the Vanguard of Sunday, December 5, 2019, I concluded thus “Christians must appreciate the danger which Islamism poses to ordinary Christians. And with the collaboration of some Christians especially those in authority, Pastors, politicians and technocrats in that order, Christians in Nigeria have no chance of surviving the jihad of the Islamists and this makes Advocacy not only necessary but also important and urgent, especially when Christians in Nigeria do not have a political party to protect Democracy.
Christians in Nigeria are yearning for a rallying point and they look up to Christian organizations for leadership. And as has been shown herein, CSMN, which was established as the socio-political arm of the Church, is eminently qualified to play this role. “Once bitten, twice shy”, as a non-violent advocacy is necessary and is appropriate in the circumstance.”
From the above, the Islamist “majority” in Nigeria will find out that they are in the minority as a result of better knowledge by the Negro Christians.
God save Nigeria.
Solomon Asemota, SAN
Chairman,
National Christian Elders Forum (NCEF)
18th December, 2019
