From Femi Mustapha and Divine Macaulay, in Kaduna
Stakeholders comprising of religious leaders and legal experts have gathered in Kaduna to brainstorm on the proposed Bills that will establish a Religious Commission in the State.
Speaking to the Media during the meeting in Kaduna today (Thursday), the Director General Kaduna Bureau of Interfaith Barr. Tahir Umar Tahir said the Executive Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Uba Sani, during his electoral campaign, promised to improve the status of religious constituencies in the state.
According to him, in fulfillment of his promises, the Governor has assembled crack teams of legal consultants and other stakeholders to draft the proposed Bills.
Barr. Tahir Umar Tahir explained that the Governor is expanding the Bureau coverage of the inter-faith to cover all aspects of religion
He explained that the State Government has created a committee under the leadership of the State Commissioner of Education, Prof.Sani, and selected key national and state religious leaders to come together and rob minds, look at the drafted Bills, and advise the Governor on how to create the proposed religion commission.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Northern Nigeria, Rev Joseph John Hayab, surmised that Governor Uba Sani, in his efforts to promote inclusion and religious understanding, is introducing a Bill called the Establishment of Agency in Kaduna.
He opined that In that Agency, there is going to be the Directorate of Christian Pilgrims, the Directorate of Islamic Pilgrims, the Directorate of Christian Social Welfare, and the Directorate of Islamic Zakat.
“We will have the Directorate for Christian Education, Directorate of Islamic Education, and also, we will have a Council of Pastors Advisory Body and Council of Imams as an Advisory Body.
“We have come today to receive the draft report that the first consultants did and look at it thoroughly as religious leaders to see which one can best be practiced in Kaduna as generally acceptable.
“The one we feel will not be accepted, we advise them to drop it, and we just listened to a powerful presentation by the Consultants and we are going to go into our different groups of Christians and Muslims to look at it.”
Similarly, Prof. Auwal Faruk Abdusalam of the Bureau of Inter Faith stressed that the development is a milestone, and the essence is that the Kaduna State Government is preparing to establish a law for the establishment of a religious Commission that will encompass all religious activities.
He explained that It will regulate and coordinate religious activities both from the Muslim and Christian communities.
The Professor added that It will promote peaceful coexistence because the Bill is just as unique as the State;
Kaduna State, according to him, is a composition of Christian and Muslim communities, and the draft Bill has taken care of the needs of both religions.
He added that the purpose of today’s meeting is for both Parties to look at the Bill to ensure it serves its purpose, saying the purpose of the Bill is to enhance the peace and harmony we are already enjoying in the State.
