The National Conference on Tuesday resolved that in order to distance
government from involvement in religious matters, henceforth, no
government, at any level, should use public funds in sponsorship of any
religious programme, especially pilgrimages for any category of citizens,
including government functionaries.
It was also agreed that apex religious bodies in the country be allowed to
handle all matters relating to pilgrimage through the Pilgrims Commissions
duly managed by them under a law to be passed by the National Assembly to
regulate their functions and protect pilgrims.
It however agreed that government, in performance of its oversight
responsibility to Nigerians, shall provide normal consular services for
the pilgrims through the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the
established Nigerian foreign missions in the relevant destinations.
In arriving at these decisions, the Conference relied on the
recommendations of the Committee on Religion which had Bishop Felix
Ajakaiye and Alhaji Nurudeen Lemu as co-chairmen.
Twice, during the presentation of the report by Lemu, and against the
conference rules of procedure, the hall rose to applaud the committee for
its sound analysis, thorough handling and simplification of knotty issues
and for coming up with daring recommendations.
Conference Deputy Chairman, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, said the
constitution of the Committee on Religion was the most difficult
assignment in terms of membership during the inauguration of all the
committees.
He said this was due to the sensitive nature of the assignment and the
fact that “people can change their political views, but they may not
change their religious views,” adding that the committee had handled the
assignment with diligence and compassion.
The applause accorded the committee did not however take away opportunity
for criticisms by some delegates who said members of the committee had
avoided tackling some critical issues and answering questions Nigerians
would expect them to answer.
Some delegates criticized the committee for its silence on the fate of
mission schools which had in the past served as moral training grounds for
young people who grew up with such morals for the betterment of the
society.
Senator Femi Okurunmu accused the committee of shying away from the
crucial issue of whether Nigeria is a secular or religious state;
explaining that this became necessary because Section 10 of the
constitution has been given different interpretations by different people
with regard to the secularity of Nigeria.
He suggested that Section 10 be amended to make it quite explicit that
Nigeria is a secular state so that the misinterpretation can be put to
rest.
Professor Ambrose Okoli also faulted the committee on the issue of where
worship centres should be sited; he said building of worship centres
requires regulation to avoid noise pollution because “a man in search of
salvation should do it quietly between him and God.”
The committee stated that central to the issue of religious harmony in
Nigeria was the elimination of religious discriminations and prejudices
and went ahead to recommend that Section 10 of the 1999 Constitution
should be reaffirmed and upheld in practice.
Section 10 of the 1999 Constitution which deals with prohibition of state
religion states that, “The Government of the Federation or of a state
shall not adopt any religion as state religion.”
However, while this recommendation was applauded, the Conference was yet
to decide on the committee’s suggestion for the establishment of a
Religious Equity Commission (REC) with the statutory mandate of advocacy,
enforcement of constitutional religious rights such as freedom of
religion, freedom to acquire land for religious purposes, among others.
Delegates said during clause-by-clause consideration of the report that
the National Human Rights Commission should be empowered to handle such
issues instead of setting up another commission at a time the issue of
devolution of power was being seriously contemplated while another group
was against it.
The committee had envisaged the REC to serve as a platform that would
bring individuals of the major religions in Nigeria to interact and
crystalise ideas that would foster unity and tolerance; as well as monitor
and investigate and expose cases of religious discrimination and
violation.
The body was also meant to monitor cases of religious extremism – both in
ideology and practice – and formulate counter narratives that are balanced
and tolerant to neutralise such extremism.
It would have equally served as a watch dog and enforcer of religious
rights of all persons, thereby creating confidence and trust in every
Nigerian no matter their religious affiliations while also monitoring and
investigating cases of hate speeches and utterances meant to incite
religious tension and prosecute persons responsible.
The committee noted that the restoration of ethics, culture, morals and
core values that promote a sense of belonging among individuals and
constituent groups within a nation-state was essential to the process of
nation building.
It drew attention to the complexity and nuances in nation-building, and
concluded that religions, being repository of teachings about justice,
ethics, morality and humanness could be used as veritable instruments of
binding people of different cultures together within a state.
The committee disclosed further, “Despite that its peoples are intensely
religious, Nigeria is losing the moral compass for nation-building. Many
factors contribute to this. There is however evidence from anthropological
data that most Nigerian cultures showed greater appreciation of the core
values of honesty, justice, ethics, and morality.
“The committee is of the view that Nigerians should return to those shared
core values of their forebears and our faith traditions which are anchored
on the sacred values of honesty, justice and the love of one another in
order to build a truly united nation-state.”
The Conference, in its deliberation and decision, mandated the National
Orientation Agency to put in place a strong advocacy in collaboration with
religious institutions to promote core values in the Nigerian society.
In a bid to reinvent the African culture of courtesy, politeness, honesty,
integrity, communal interdependence and peaceful co-existence which it
said were rapidly being eroded in the Nigerian society, the committee
suggested that children must be taught their mother tongue or language of
their immediate community during the first three years of basic education.
In addition, it said learning of Nigerian history should be included in
primary and secondary school curricula; while social studies curriculum
should be reviewed to reflect Nigeria’s cultural values of respect for
elders, hospitality, and communal interdependence, modesty in morals and
in dressing.
The Conference, in another resolution, said henceforth, hate speeches and
sermons meant to create incitement among Nigerians should be criminalise;
and those involved prosecuted.
Delegates also resolved that profit-making businesses carried out by
religious bodies like churches and mosques should pay taxes as a way of
contributing to the growth of the economy.
Henceforth, by the decision of the Conference on Tuesday, nobody wishing
to convert to any religion of his or her choice should be subjected to any
form of victimization whatsoever.
Based on the recommendation of the committee, Conference resolved that
payment of welfare allowances be made by government to men and women
particularly the most vulnerable members of the society.
It was also agreed and resolved that government should, as a matter of
national emergency initiate policies that would accelerate wealth creation
for the teeming populace, particularly through creation of jobs.