Ogun State Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun has said that his administration’s commitment to religious tolerance has ensured peaceful co-existence among various adherents in the state.
The governor noted that though people living in the state practise different religions, with Ogun being the religious capital of the country, they have imbibed the spirit of tolerance by seeing themselves as one.
He said that this is due to the fact that his government had been promoting acts that unite and encourage peaceful co-existence among the people of the state.
The governor stated this in his office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, when he received the national leadership of the Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, who paid him a courtesy call.
Represented by his deputy, Mrs Noimot Salako-Oyedele, Governor Abiodun assured that his administration would continue to give equal treatment to all religious bodies operating in the state.
“Our administration is committed to religious tolerance. Our state is the religious capital of Nigeria with headquarters of Muslims and Christian organisations. We are a very tolerant state, and we have lived together peacefully. The government is also reflective of that with the appointment of a consultant to the governor on Islamic affairs.
“This is done so that issues that pertain to religion can be channelled to him so that we do not have biases or any issue between our faiths. We work together to maintain that harmony in our state,” Prince Abiodun said.
He also called for synergy between government and religious organizations in addressing social ills currently prevalent in society.
The governor decried the moral decadent that is gradually tearing the society apart, emphasizing collaborative efforts in stemming the tide.
He challenged the Ansar-Ud-Deen society to work with the government to make sure that some of the ills are tackled and eliminated to create a better community.
Abiodun lauded the society for its various philanthropic work especially in the area of education, noting that it has helped in providing health facilities to ensure that quality health services get to all the nooks and crannies of the state.
He called for the sensitization of its members to take advantage of the various government intervention schemes aimed at elevating the suffering of the people due to the removal of subsidy on fuel.
Earlier, the national president of the society, Dr. Are Sanni, condemned the get-rich quick syndrome of the youths, which has led them to be involved in cultism, fraud, kidnapping and money rituals, assuring that the society was ready to work with the government to nip it in the bud.
He said the society in the last 100 years, through contributions from members, embarked on the provision of education and health facilities as part of its efforts to build an egalitarian society.
Sanni said the visit to the state was to intimate the governor on the programmes lined up to celebrate the 100-year anniversaries of the society and to explore areas of collaboration for the benefit of the people.
