QUESTION 14 OF 23 PRESIDING QUESTIONS FOR 2023 PRESIDENTIAL QUESTS: THEIR AMBITIONS VERSUS OUR CONVICTIONS
SECTION C: RECOVERY OF SOCIAL ARCHITECTURE
Nigeria may be dominated by
Christians and Muslims but these two have no superior right to religion than traditional
worshippers or even atheists. A secular nation such as ours is an embodiment of
all religions and should neither discriminate nor be seen to do so, especially
if unhealthy religious competition & oppression are to be discarded. As a
matter of fact, religion ought to be an entirely private matter between a
person and his/her God.
Therefore, to enact a new
social order of true inter-faith tolerance & harmony in Nigeria, our next
President come 2023 should consider parliamentary bills and executive policies
that favour an outright ban of the following needless religion-inclined social practices
that I call “Public Display of Religious Affinity”;
·
Incessant noise pollution by Churches and
Mosques through the erection of speakers outside all worship
centers;
·
Existence and Public funding of National Hajj
Commission & National Christian Pilgrim Commission and government funding
of religious pilgrimages;
·
Official ‘opening and closing’ prayers at
government functions and in government offices by Christians and Muslims;
·
Deployment of tax-payers’ funds by government
to the construction of Christian and Islamic worship centers
·
Other unnecessary forms of “Public Display of
Religious Affinity” that breed inter-religious tension, disharmony etc.
Would you support that the coming President leads the process to put a
stop to all the afore-mentioned?
a. I am in support
b. I am against
Dr.
Adetolu Ademujimi is a Medical Doctor, Author, Reformer, Coach, Public Policy
expert and social entrepreneur, who wrote in from Akure in Nigeria. Email: ademujimi@yahoo.co.uk; Twitter: @toluademujimi; Instagram:
@adetoluademujimi; Linkedin: @adetolu ademujimi
I am in support
ReplyDeleteDear Bola, all your comments are always noted. Thanks
DeleteI agree with a rider.
ReplyDeleteFirst, permit me to thank you for putting these questions together. You voiced our thoughts in your write up.
Second, the right to religion is a fundamental right protected under section 38 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
That section provides
"Every person shall be entitled to freedom of thought, conscience and religion […] and freedom […] to manifest and propagate his religion or belief in worship, teaching, practice and observance..."
Government is expected to facilitate the preservation of all rights and also to promote those rights enshrined under the Constitution. As such, in its promotion of the right to religion as enunciated in the second leg of the rendition may only be practically viewed from the pilgrimage trips funded by Government.
Although, it may and in fact you have argued that since this right is a private right, funding its promotion and manifestation should be at personal costs; however it must be stated that all fundamental rights are basic rights which enjoyment are private ensuring to each individual on the basis of his individuality.
The social contract theory by which we have Governments to oversee our activities is a theory which has citizens donating the powers tonprotect themselves to a government which intends protects them. This in a bid to promote order. Hence the right to religion is one which must be protected and preserved by government.
Having said that, I must quickly state that I differ on the promotion of religious affinity by permitting the operation of religious centres without a form of orderliness. Hence, I agree that public display of religious affinity should be stopped especially those with stickers and all. For one, those emblems mostly serve as oppressive tools to those who are not of the same religious affinity to the person bearing the emblem.
I also do not agree that religious centres use soujd amplifiers outside their places of worship. Open air crusades may alao be checked where they constitute an infringement on the enjoyment of the rights of those living in those places.
Tge deployment of tax payers funds to relihious worship centres is a complete No!
While government funding of Pilgrimages is not completely out of place, the establishment and maintenance of the government Welfare Boards, Parastatals and Commissions for the purpose of religious pilgrimages is complete waste of precious government funds.
If at all government wishes to coordinate the pilgrimages from a parastatal, they could at best be collapsed as committees under the government ministry handling community development.
These are my considered thoughts. I thank you for your consistence.