By Fatima Saka
Abuja, Nigeria — The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has called on the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and other public and private sector employers to desist from practices that allegedly undermine the promotion of Muslim staff, warning that such actions could threaten religious harmony, fairness, and industrial peace.
The faith-based civil society organisation made the appeal in a statement issued on Wednesday and signed by its Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola. MURIC alleged that the NCC scheduled its 2026 promotion examination at a time when some Muslim employees were performing the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, thereby excluding them from participating.
According to the group, the move reflects a broader pattern of systemic bias against Muslims in workplaces, where key activities such as meetings, tests, and official engagements are sometimes fixed during periods of religious obligations, including Friday Jumu’ah prayers.
MURIC further argued that denying Muslim staff the opportunity to participate in promotion examinations due to religious commitments constitutes a violation of their fundamental human rights as guaranteed under Section 38(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The performance of Hajj is a fundamental religious obligation for Muslims who have the means. Any action that punishes them for fulfilling this duty amounts to an infringement on their rights,” the statement read.
The organisation urged the NCC management to provide a transparent redress mechanism by allowing affected staff to retake the promotion examination. It also called for more inclusive planning of future examinations to ensure that no group is unfairly disadvantaged.
While noting that it may consider legal action or call for a government probe if the situation is not addressed, MURIC said it prefers dialogue and administrative correction over confrontation.
The group also raised concerns about what it described as a lack of adequate representation of Muslims within the NCC board, warning that such imbalance should not compromise objectivity in decision-making processes.
MURIC further urger all employers across the country to uphold principles of equity, respect religious diversity, and promote inclusive workplace policies in the interest of national unity and peaceful coexistence.
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