Following an allegation that the Ekiti state governor, Ayodele Fayose has ordered the demolition of some Mosques, a group, known as Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has warned the governor not to provoke Muslims across the country.
In a statement, the group’s Director, Ishaq Akintola said that if the directive of the governor is carried out, it would amount to removing all Islamic landmarks in the state, adding that would mean that the governor is plotting to set Nigeria ablaze.
Akintola said that such action of the governor is capable of causing breach of peace, saying: “for reasons best known to him, Fayose wants to set Nigeria on fire. He knows that his action is capable of causing breach of peace yet he appears determined to go ahead.
“This move is not only irrational but also highly provocative. Governor Fayose is deliberately provoking Muslims in Ekiti state and by inference, in Yorubaland and the country as a whole.
“Fayose has a phobia for Muslims and an allergy for seeing any Islamic monument in their neighbourhood. Fayose is determined to uproot every single Islamic landmark on Ekiti soil before his tenure expires in 2018.”
MURIC threatened violence if the governor goes ahead with the demolition, saying: “nobody should blame Muslims for any breakdown of law and order if those mosques are demolished.
“We are bewildered that the chief security officer of a state can be hell-bent on stoking religious riot in a country heavily beleaguered with religious conflicts.
“Fayose’s belligerence and open display of hostility towards his Muslim citizens belies the perceived atmosphere of peaceful coexistence between Christians and Muslims in south-western Nigeria.
“Many people, including foreigners in the country, are under the impression that religious intolerance exists only in the northern part of the country.
“Nay, the truth of the matter is that Muslims in the region have been patiently bearing a long-drawn repression and denial of their Allah-given fundamental human rights.
“The reality on ground is that while a handful of Christians may be amenable to the idea of religious tolerance, many others like Fayose have a phobia for Muslims and an allergy for seeing any Islamic monument in their neighbourhood.
“MURIC calls the attention of leaders of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to Fayose’s aggression against Muslims. We appeal to Western diplomats in the country to spare a little time to study the religious landscape in Yorubaland,” Akintola said.
“We charge leaders of the national assembly, lawmakers from Ekiti state and all men of goodwill to make Fayose see reason. We invite notable traditional rulers in Yorubaland, particularly the much revered Ooni of Ife and the Alaafin of Oyo to intervene in the matter before it gets out of hand.
“Finally, we warn that the fragile peace and one-sided religious ‘tolerance’ being enjoyed in the south-west may come under severe threat if Fayose carries out his threat to destroy those mosques.” [myad]
