By Olakunle Olafioye
The Federal Government has been urged to uphold the secularity of the country as provided for by the Constitution.
The admonition was part of the speech of the Supreme Head of the Cherubim & Seraphim Unification Church of Nigeria, Prophet Dr. Solomon Adegboyega Alao, on Thursday, during the opening of the 2021 Annual General Conference of the Church in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Prophet Alao spoke against the backdrop of a myriad of ethno-religious tensions across the country.
He said: “In a secular state, what is the business of the government dictating to me what God or gods I should worship? What is the business of government in promoting religious belief by getting involved in wasting public funds on pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia and Israel for the benefits of the privileged few when the majority of our people are hungry, jobless and when our roads are in terrible conditions because of this wastage?”
While acknowledging that removal of the former service chiefs was long overdue, Prophet Alao, however, said Nigerians should join hands with the newly appointed ones to nip the menace of insecurity in the bud. He urged Nigerians and all religious leaders in the country to continue to pray for the unity of the country.
He also said: “I believe we should go back to the basics bequeathed to us by our founding fathers – Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, and the Sir Ahmadu Bello. The clamour for restructuring is gathering momentum and I believe the present government should seriously look into this before it is too late for the country,” he said.
