By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
The Federal Capital Territory ( FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike has given a 24 hours ultimatum to the Executive Secretary, Ebgr.Shehu Ahmed Hadi, to explain the position of the national Mosque and what the compensation plan is meant for it.
Woke made this demand when he received members of the Abuja National Mosque Management Committee, led by its Chairman, the Etsu of Nupe, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, to debunk reports making rounds, that his administration in Abuja was promoting policies that are against certain religious Alignments.
“I want to start from what I was told that I instructed the demolition of a Mosque in Rivers State when I was a governor. I want you to know that in politics, people will use many things to fight their opponents.”
“The Emir of Sokoto is one person I have high regards for, I don’t just see him as an elder brother but like a father. Anything that has to do with the national Mosque, which he is the president, I will always give it support.”
You said Obasanjo lunched the appeal fund for the support of the renovation of the national Mosque. No government will not support the management of the national Monument. We have a role to ensure that worship centers are well taken care of, he assured.
The Minister noted that those trying to whip religious sentiment, were mischievously doing so , just to score some cheap political points.
“We are not targeting any religious group or ethnicity, we are doing what we can for the good of all FCT residents and Nigerians at large.”
“Don’t allow politicians who do not have the capacity to face me in any way to use religion as a weapon against me.”
Wike stated that as a Nigerian, he has no reason to instigate hate speech against any religious groups, but to support any that has a genuine cause.
While assuring that FCT will not hesitate to support the maintenance of the National Mosque, or the National Ecumenical Center, having been declared as a national monument.
He also called on religious leaders to preach National unity and peaceful coexistence.
He, however, promised the continued maintenance of the Mosque, adding, ” if we do not surpass whatsoever you have being receiving , we are going to continue doing it.
Furthermore, while reacting to an allegation that he intends stopping cows from grazing in Abuja, the Minister said”Cows should not feed in the city center where there are only flowers but outside the city center where you have grasses to eat.”
I am here as the minister of FCT for everybody, religious group and ethnicity. We may not like change but change is inevitable, he stressed.
Earlier in his remarks, the Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya urged the Minister to support the maintenance project of the National Mosque, which he said had been stopped for some time now.
He also pleaded with the Minister to grant the Committee more time to develop plots of land allocated to it by FCTA.
