Posted by Bishop Seun Adeoye, the spokesperson for the World Bishops’ Council (WBC), in Africa, has charged Professor Ishaq Akintola with scheming to wreak religious havoc in Osun State.
Bishop Adeoye also expressed disappointment at a remark made by the executive director of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), Professor Ishaq Akintola, regarding the names of the commissioner-nominees that Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke had forwarded to the State House of Assembly.
In a statement on Monday, Prof. Akintola said that the list of Osun cabinet nominees made public by the House of Assembly on Friday contained a religious imbalance.
There were more Christians than Muslims among the proposed cabinet members, according to the head of MURIC.
In the statement, Bishop Adeoye argued that Christians’ past decisions to ignore a series of inciting remarks made by Akintola against their faith should not be viewed as cowardice but rather as a strategy for avoiding a man whose covert goal has always been to spark a religious crisis in the nation.
There is nothing wrong if Akintola asked Governor Adeleke to treat Muslims fairly because, in his words, “7 of his commissioner nominees are Muslims while 17 are Christians. However, this man covertly hid in his statement what can lead to chaos between peace-loving Christians and Muslims in the state.
When he claimed that Governor Adeleke is a covert agent of the Christian Association of Nigeria and that what the Governor did with the commissioner-nominees was a wanton obstruction of Muslims to overindulged and overfed Christians in Osun State, Akintola knew exactly what he was doing.
“This is an incitement to violence against the state’s Christians. Unfortunately, when Governor Adeleke, a Muslim himself, announced his first three important selections six months ago, this state native Akintola was stupid.
The statement continues, “These three men—the Chief of Staff, the Secretary to the State Government, and the Governor’s Spokesman—are all Muslims.
Akintola was advised to step carefully and give peace a chance not just in Osun but throughout Nigeria by Bishop Adeoye, who serves as the General Overseer of Sufficient Grace International Christian Church and the Lead Bishop of the Worldwide Anglican Church (WAC), Nigeria.
I am not in a position to defend Governor Adeleke’s political appointments, Bishop Adeoye continued. I don’t work in politics. And I want to add that speaking out against marginalization is a good concept.
But it will not be accepted if Akintola upsets Muslims and Christians who have been coexisting peacefully because of political appointments.
“MURIC Executive Director needs to consider the effects of any statement before putting pen to paper and signing it again.”