By Kazeem Ugbodaga.
The Lagos State Government says it will start to place mosques and churches in the state under watch as from 2016 to combat series of hate preaching that have been going on in the religious houses. The government decried rising waves of hate preaching among religious leaders in the state, an act, it said if not curbed on time could degenerate into crisis, which government wanted to prevent at all cost.
Commissioner for Home Affairs, Dr. Abdul-Hakeem Abdul-Lateef at a meeting with members of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), in Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria on Tuesday said government is being forced to place these religious houses under watch because of the devastating effect of hate preaching.
He warned religious leaders who engaged in hate preaching to desist forthwith from the act as government would no longer tolerate religious intolerance in the state. “The state government will begin inter-religious conferences where all religious bodies in the state, irrespective of their denominations will participate. NIREC will coordinate inter-religious conferences, but the state government will stop any religious leader who engages in hate preaching or hate messages capable of endangering people’s freedom. Henceforth, we will start to monitor mosques and churches and ensure that clerics do not engage in hate preaching. Our constitution in Nigeria has recognised the freedom and rights of every citizen to express himself or herself in a way he or she believes,” he said.
The commissioner added that everyone has the right to freedom of religion, conscience and the right to express it publicly, individually or in community with others, to express to observe, to practice and propagate it. “Section 42 of the 1999 Constitution goes further to say nobody on account of expressing himself should be subjected to any form of discrimination. So, if we are talking about peace, peaceful co-existence, then tolerance is key to all of us. Let it be known to residents that henceforth, Lagos government in collaboration with the NIREC, will not tolerate hate preachers. These are the people who do not preach their religion but continue to spread mischief about people of other religions.
“We will not tolerate religious intolerance. This is the time for advocacy, let everybody realize that you have the right and freedom to practice your religion but you will be stopped from practicing that religion if it creates mischief. Under Section 45 of the Nigeria Constitution, the government is empowered to put a stop to your freedom when it endangers other people’s freedom,” He emphasized.
The commissioner said he supported mosques in the call for prayers to their faithful, but urged all religious centres and leaders to immediately deactivate their external loud speakers after the call had been made in-order not to constitute nuisance to the community. He said the government would ensure that this advocacy would get to the grassroots to let people know that government is not stopping people from practicing their religion, but must ensure that the rights of other people must be taken into consideration.
“In recognition of tolerance, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has directed that in collaboration with NIREC, from next year there would be quarterly inter-face conference where all religious bodies will meet to discuss the way forward and further strengthen existing cordial relationship between the two religions. It must not be a fire brigade approach that is only when there is crisis we meet,” he said.
He stated that government had earlier met with Christian and Muslim leaders where it was agreed “to start enumeration, data gathering of members in the state. We cannot do this without the collaboration of NIREC. We are enforcing our law in a manner that it restores the dignity of the people. There must be an identification number for ever Church and Mosque as part of measures to safe guarding the welfare of adherent of these religions.”
Co-chairman of NIREC in Lagos, Dr. Saheed Timeyin, who spoke at the meeting asked the government to include Peace Education in school for primary and secondary schools in the state for younger ones to imbibe tolerance in their ways of life.