By Benjamin Ubiri
The Gospel Reggae Team Initiative (GRTI) has rejected calls to assess admission into the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) through Christian-Muslim religious ratios, saying concerns about the process should be based on evidence and established admission criteria.
The registered non governmental organisation was reacting to a statement attributed to the Abuja Chapter of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), which raises concerns about alleged religious imbalance in the admission list for the 78 Regular Course of the NDA.
In a statement signed by its Founder and Coordinator, Lucy Awe, the GRTI says the NDA should remain a national institution whose admission process is based on qualification, competence, character and other established requirements.
The organisation said federal character and equitable representation should not be interpreted as requiring government institutions to maintain specific Christian or Muslim quotas.
A trustee of the organisation, Odoh Okenyodo, said the fundamental issue in military recruitment should be whether candidates meet the requirements and demonstrate the discipline and commitment needed to serve Nigeria.
The GRTI also questioned how religious identities were established for candidates on the NDA admission list.
It asks how MURIC determined that successful candidates were Christians or Muslims and whether candidates of other faiths were considered in its assessment.
The organisation said legitimate concerns about the admission process should instead focus on whether the published criteria were followed, whether applicable cut-off marks were used consistently and whether candidates received equal treatment.
The GRTI also urged religious organisations, political actors, civil society groups and opinion leaders to avoid turning recruitment, admissions and other government processes into religious contests.
It called on the Department of State Services (DSS) and other relevant institutions to encourage responsible public commentary on sensitive national security matters while ensuring that legitimate complaints receive appropriate attention.
The organisation said Nigeria’s security institutions must remain national institutions and urged stakeholders to place national loyalty above religious, ethnic or sectional considerations.
Edited by Sofiat Adenekan-Abdul, Julian Osamoto
