BEVERLY HILLS, November 18, (THEWILL) – A Lagos State government says it will no longer tolerate any form of religious intolerance and hate messages from religious leaders in any part of the state.
Abdulhakeem Abdullateef, the state’s commissioner for home affairs, who issued the warning at a meeting with members of the Nigeria inter-Religious Council (NIREC), also informed that beginning from 2016, the government would begin an inter-face religious conference where all religious organisations in Lagos, irrespective of their denomination, would participate in seminars to be coordinated by NIREC.
The government will sanction a religion leader that preaches hate messages capable of causing disaffection and endangering the freedom of the citizens, he said.
“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. 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 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 Nigeria Inter- Religion Council (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 and under section 45 of the constitution, the government is empowered to put a stop to your freedom when it endangers other people’s freedom,” the commissioner said.
He urged clerics to immediately deactivate the external loud speaker after they had used it to call their faithful for prayers in-order not to constitute nuisance to the community.
Saheed Timeyin, the co-chairman of NIREC in Lagos, speaking at the meeting, urged the state government to include peace education in school for primary and secondary school for younger ones to imbibe tolerance in their ways of life.
There is urgent need to block the nation’s children, youth from having contacts with extremists’ tendencies from schools, he said.
