By Abdullahi Muhammad, Abuja
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration(FCTA) Brr. Nyesom Wike has given the leadership of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), 24 hours to give the position of the national Mosque facility and what the compensation plans are for the areas affected by road construction.
The Minister declared this when he received Mosques Board chairman and members of the Management Committee, led by its Chairman, the Etsu of Nupe, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar CFR. The Minister also debunked reports making the rounds, that his administration in Abuja was promoting policies that ate against certain religious alignments.
“I want to start from what I was told, that I instructed the demolition of the national Mosque . I want you to know that in politics, people will use a lot of things to fight their opponents.
“The Sultan 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 of, I will always give it support”
“You said Obasanjo launched the appeal fund for the support of the renovation of the National Mosque. No government will not support the management of a national Monument. We have a role to ensure that worship centers are well taken care of” he assured.
Wike disclosed 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 ethnic group, 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 noted 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 Centre, having been declared as a national monument, he also called on religious leaders to preach National unity and peaceful coexistence.
“You said Obasanjo lunched the appeal fund for the support of the renovation of the national Mouqe.
No government will not support the management of the national Monoment. We have a role to ensure that worship centers are well taken care of”
“I say if we do not surpass what whatsoever you have been receiving for the maintainance of the Mousqu, we are going to continue doing it” the Minister promised.
Reacting to an allegation that he intend stopping cows to be 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 eathnicity.
We may not like change but change is inevitable. He said.
Speaking in his remarks, the Etsu Nupe, urged the Minister to support the maintenance project of the National Mosque, which he disclosed had been stalled for sometime now.
He also pleaded with the Minister to grant the Committee more time to develop plots of land allocated to it by FCTA.
