Leader of the Southern Conference of the United Methodist Church of Nigeria (UMCN), Rev Philip Micah Dopah, Thursday opposed the construction of mosques in the official residence of Taraba state commissioner of police.
Dopah, who stated this in Jalingo at a press briefing, said it was an evil plot by the state commissioner of police to turn government quarters into a worship place for Muslims.
He noted that the plot to build a mosque by the commissioner was aimed at promoting negative religious activities in the state.
“It is worrisome to construct mosque in the official residence of the commissioner of police and others,” he said.
“It is an ungodly plot aimed at fuelling religious crisis in the state with a view to frustrating peaceful living among the people and development in the state.
“To this end, as leaders of the Christian faith and based on constitutional provision which has made the country a secular state, we are vehemently opposing this evil plot by the commissioner of police to turn government quarters into a worship place for the Muslims,” he said.
The cleric gave the commissioner seven days to demolish the mosque in the overall interest of peace or else the Christian community in the state would have no choice than to consider him a religious bigot and promoter of religious conflicts.
“We want to state that the CP should note that apart from Nigeria being a secular state, as a security chief, he is saddled with the responsibility of enforcing the laws for peaceful living among the people irrespective of religious inclinations and not to promote the reverse as it is the case now,” he stated.
He said Taraba state which was created twenty eight years ago is bedeviled with series of crises and as a result has adversely affected to the progress and development of the state.
He said government must henceforth hold traditional rulers responsible for any further breach of peace in their domain, especially between Fulani herdsmen and local communities who are predominantly farmers.
“As a matter of fact, we have discovered that the peace initiatives of the present administration in the state under the leadership of Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku can only succeed if traditional rulers in the state give their maximum cooperation and support to government,” he stated.
