14th March, 2022
PRESS RELEASE:
MURIC PICNIC VIA BUHARI TRAIN ON SUNDAY 13TH MARCH, 2022: MURIC SHOWCASES BUHARI TRAIN: DECLARES BUHARI ‘FATHER OF MODERN NIGERIA’
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) organised a picnic cum press briefing yesterday, Sunday, 13th March, 2022. The group travelled on the new Buhari train from Lagos to Ibadan (including the return journey). MURIC declared President Muhammadu Buhari ‘Father of Modern Nigeria’ at the end-of-trip press briefing.
This was disclosed in a press statement issued on Monday, 14th March, 2022 by the group’s Vice Chairman in Oyo State, Barrister Abdul Wahid Lawal
Barrister Lawal said:
“14 members from the Lagos branch of MURIC left Lagos by 8.30 am on board the Buhari train from the Babatunde Fashola station, Agege, Lagos. They were accompanied by three journalists.
“5 members from the Ogun State Chapter of MURIC joined the team at the Wole Soyinka station, Abeokuta, making the number of picnickers 22. While the Lagos team was led by the group’s director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, Ogun State chapter was led by its chairman, Alhaji Tajudeen Jimoh.
“They arrived at the Obafemi Awolowo station, Moniya, Ibadan, around 11 am. They were received by 15 members from the Oyo State chapter of the organization. The team from Ibadan was led by the Vice Chairman of the branch, Barrister Abdul Wahid Lawal.
“The picnic began immediately after arriving in Ibadan. The event afforded members of MURIC from the three branches in Lagos, Ogun and Oyo, to get to know one another and to cross-fertilize ideas.
“During the picnic, the team reviewed their experiences on board the Buhari train from Lagos to Ibadan. They observed that they were stunned by the ultra-modern train stations at Agege, Lagos as well as the state-of-the-art facilities inside the stations.
“The general consensus was that the trip was an eye-opener as it availed them the opportunity to know more about the Nigerian Railway Corporation, the facilities now available on board the Buhari train and the advantages of the rail transport system in the country.
“Members expressed their pleasant surprise at what they saw on board the Buhari train, e.g. the comfortable executive chairs for passengers, the full air conditioner, the three television sets in each coach, the Phone charging sockets for each passenger, the two toilet rooms in each cabin, etc.
“In particular, members noted the serene atmosphere within the cabins. Passengers experienced real sense of security. There was complete absence of any kind of apprehension. Equally noteworthy is the free movement and steady speed of the train. This is in sharp contrast to the concern and trepidation which usually characterise traveling by road. They also acknowledged the absence of any traffic logjam in the path of the train which is another big advantage.
“In the same vein, the MURIC picnickers expressed concern over continuity of the Buhari vision particularly his penchant for infrastructural development. While acknowledging the fact that no regime has aggressively focused attention on infrastructure the way the Buhari administration has done, they urged future leaders to continue building more railways until every city in the country has a train station. They also laid emphasis on the need for constant maintenance of the railway system.
In his closing remarks at the end of the picnic and press briefing, the director and founder of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola, declared President Muhammadu Buhari as the ‘Father of Modern Nigeria’. The declaration was received with a thunderous ovation by members present.
All these formed the core of the press briefing which was attended by six different media houses. The picnic came to an end by 3.45 pm when members of the group prepared to board the train back to Lagos. The train which left Moniya station, Ibadan at exactly 4 pm, stopped briefly in Abeokuta where members of the Ogun State Chapter of MURIC disembarked. The train finally arrived the Babatunde Fashola train station, Agege, Lagos, at 6.05 pm.
Barrister Abdul Wahid Lawal,
Vice Chairman,
Oyo State Chapter,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).
