Musa Azare a Bauchi State Public Affairs analyst and Social commentator writes on the trending story on the allerged demolition of Mosque by Rivers State Governor, Nyemsom Wike..
"Sokoto is also an ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of the Catholic Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah, who sits next door to His Eminence The Sultan of Sokoto, the Spiritual Leader of the Muslim faithfuls under the jurisdiction of the Caliphate"
By Musa Azare..
On Gov. Wike's alleged demolition of Mosque
Sokoto, Nigeria, is the Seat of the Caliphate that stretches to as far as Burkina Faso, Cameroon and southern Niger Republic. It is the spiritual headquarter of the Muslim faithfuls in these countries.
Sokoto is also an ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of the Catholic Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah, who sits next door to His Eminence The Sultan of Sokoto, the Spiritual Leader of the Muslim faithfuls under the jurisdiction of the Caliphate.
The Sokoto Caliphate was founded in 1804, some 215 years ago. The first Catholic Church in Sokoto town was established by Father Berengario Cermenatti, SMA, in November 1921, some 98 years ago. That was very impressive. It was the height of religious freedom and tolerance. To my knowledge, there has never been an interreligious crisis in Sokoto. I may not be correct though, but that's why I said to my knowledge there was none.
Now enter Nyeson Wike, Governor of Rivers State in 2019, who allegedly demolished a mosque because it constituted an illegal structure by the laws and standards of his State.
A little throwback, in June 2008, the Kano State Urban Planning Development Agency (KANUPDA), demolished a Catholic Church in Na'ibawa because officials of the Church "refused to acquire a Certificate of Occupancy before commencing building."
The Catholic Diocese in Sokoto followed proper documentations according to the laws of Sokoto State.
Governor Wike in his response to the furore created by the alleged demolition of the Mosque, cleverly refused to call the demolished structure a Mosque. He simply called it "illegal structure." This, may be, was to assuage the feelings of Muslims who were angered by his action.
I have said in several forums that Nigeria is only a secular country on paper. Nigeria is a multicultural, religiously very sensitive country. Although a democracy also. This extraordinary characteristic make it extremely necessary for political leaders to be very careful when taking decisions that have something to do with religion. Governor Wike himself confessed that he received calls from senior Muslim citizens from across the country, who expressed their bitterness over his actions. This tells you the magnitude of his action!
In the same vein, since we are unarguably people of different cultural and religious backgrounds, bound together by our Creator, we must adhere to nature's wish and live in peace. Laws are meant to be respected and preserved. Laws are what differentiate us from animals in the jungle.
A simple adherence and obedience to laws could save us from all troubles. Each of Nigeria's federating units (the States) has its own laws and regulations enacted by their respective State Assemblies to suit in most cases their peculiarities, purposes and conveniences. And for peace to reign supreme, the law MUST be obeyed.
If the Sokoto Caliphate not only hosted and harboured the Catholic Church since about 100 years ago, and the duo are living as good neighbours, there should absolutely be no reason why Muslims and Christians in other parts of Nigeria cannot tolerate one another. This is the age tolerance and religious freedom. It is also not the age of barbarism, in which laws were jettisoned, paving way for the reign of anarchy.
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