Christian leaders in Lagos State have told the Lagos State House of Assembly not to stoke religious tension in the state.
This followed the decision of the Lagos State Assembly not to confirm 17 of the 39 commissioner-nominees sent to it.
The Eagle Online recalls that the Assembly on Wednesday announced its decision not to confirm 17 of the nominees sent to it by the State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Out of the 39 nominees sent to it, the Assembly confirmed 22 and left out 17.
In a statement on Thursday, the Christian leaders, with Pastor Eliashib James as National Lead, said the decision of the Assembly smirks of religious considerations.
Its position stemmed from the series of statements released by the Muslim Rights Concern on the number of Christians on the list against that of Muslims.
MURIC had complained of the marginalisation of Muslims.
But reacting, James in the statement on Thursday said MURIC was inconsiderate, considering the fact that appointments in the past in the state and on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, the party in power in Lagos State, had been skewed in favour of Muslims.
The statement reads in full:
LAGOS HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY, DON’T STOKE RELIGIOUS TENSION IN LAGOS
We have watched in utter amazement the unfolding drama at the Lagos State House of Assembly where surreptitious moves are being made by the House leadership to stoke religious tension in Lagos state. Egged on by a right wing extremist religious group known as Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) of one prof. Ishaq Akintola, the House of Assembly has manifested this by its rejection of a number of commissioner nominees in the state.
We state without any equivocation that this is pure religious blackmail as contrary to the propaganda of MURIC, which the House of Assembly latched on, there are more Muslims in the government of Lagos than Christians.
For example, starting from the House of Assembly, there are more Muslims than Christians.
This is the list of the 40 elected members of the 10th Lagos Assembly:
1 Hon. Mudashiru A. Obasa – Agege 01 (APC)
2 Hon. Jubreel Abdulkareem – Agege 02 (APC)
3 Hon. Olumoh Saad Lukman – Ajeromiifelodun 01 (APC)
4 Hon. Akanbi Oluwa – Ajeromiifelodun 02 (APC)
5 Hon. Jimoh Orelope– Alimosho 01 (APC)
6 Hon. Kehinde O. Joseph – Alimosho 02 (APC)
7 Hon. Foluke Osafile – Amuwo Odofin 01 (LP)
8 Hon. Tunde Fashina Amuwo Odofin 02 (LP)
9 Hon. Mojisola Lasbat Meranda – Apapa 01 (APC)
10 Hon Aina Lawal – Apapa 02 (APC)
11 Hon. Solomon Bonus – Badagry 01 (APC)
12 Hon. (Engr.) Setonji David Samuel — Badagry 02 (APC)
13 Hon. Tobun Abiodun – Epe 01 (APC)
14 Hon. Sylvester O. Ogunkelu – Epe 02 (APC)
15 Hon. Noheem Adams – Eti Osa 01 (APC)
16 Hon. (Engr.) Yishawu Olusegun Gbolahan – Eti Osa 02 (APC)
17 Hon. Fatai Oluwa – Ibeju Lekki 01 (APC)
18 Hon. Oladele Ajayi – Ibeju Lekki 02 (APC)
19 Hon. Adedeji Temitope A. – Ifako Ijaiye 01 (APC)
20 Hon. Emmanuel Olotu – Ifako Ijaiye 02 (APC)
21 Hon. Adeseyi Lawal – Ikeja 01 (APC)
22 Hon. Kasunmu Adedamola – Ikeja 02 (APC)
23 Hon. Gbolahan Ogunleye – Ikorodu 01 (APC)
24 Hon. Moshood Aro – Ikorodu 02 (APC)
25 Hon. Sanni Ganiyu B. – Kosofe 01 (APC)
26 Hon. Saheed Femi – Kosofe 02 (APC)
27 Hon Olumegbon Lawal – Lagos Island 01 (APC)
28 Hon. Olanrewaju S. Afinni – Lagos Island 02 (APC)
29 Hon Owolabi Ibrahim A. – Lagos Mainland 01 (APC)
30 Hon. Rasheed Shabi – Lagos Mainland 02 (APC)
31 Hon Akinsanya A. Nureni – Mushin 01 (APC)
32 Hon. Olayinka Kazeem – Mushin 02 (APC)
33 Hon. Olusegun Ege – Ojo 01 (APC)
34 Hon. Tijani Suraju O. – Ojo 02 (APC)
35 Hon. Oladapo Ajomale – Oshodi01 Isolo 01 (APC)
36 Hon. Stephen Ogundipe – Oshodi01 Isolo 02 (APC)
37 Hon. Rotimi Olowo – Somolu 01 (APC)
38 Hon. Abiru Rotimi Lateef – Somolu 02 (APC)
39 Hon. Elliot Desmond O. – Surulere 01 (APC)
40 Hon. (Mrs.) Sangodara Mosunmola Rotimi – Surulere 02 (APC)
Similarly, there is the preponderance of Muslims over Christians among the 57 local government Chairmen in the state.
1 Yisa Jubril/Samuel Ayodele (Iba)
2 Wasiu Adesina/Sade Olabanji-Oba (Ikorodu Central)
3 Valentine Buraimoh/Maureen Ashara (Amuwo-Odofin)
4 Usman Hamzat/Oluwatoyin Akerele (Ifako-Ijaiye)
5 Tijani Olusi/Akinyemi Eshinokun (Lagos Island)
6 Surah Animashaun/Sikiru Owolomanshe (Epe)
7 Sulaiman Jelili/Ibrahim Johnson (Alimosho)
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8 Rasulu Idowu/Edna Uche-Ubochi (Ojo)
9 Rashidat Adu/Olusegun Ogunbiyi (Iru, Victoria Island)
10 Rasaq Ajala/Oluseyi Jakande (Odi-Olowo)
11 Rasak Ibrahim/Matthew Olaleye (Coker- Aguda)
12 Ramotullau Hassan-Akinola/Olanrewaju Moshood (Oriade)
13 Omolola Essein/Jubril Kolawole (Lagos Mainland)
14 Oluwaseun Gabriel/Samson Aromire (Apapa)
15 Olusesan Daini/Nuraini Okedina-Maja (Igbogbo Baiyeku)
16 Olusegun Onilude/Pedetin Kappa (Badagry Central)
17 Olusegun Odunmbaku/Bunmi Oluyadi (Ojodu)
18 Olufemi Rafiu/John Ogundare (Eti-Osa East)
19 Olufemi Okeowo/Adejinyan Ojora (Ifelodun)
20 Olatunde Folorunso/Monsuru Ogungbemi (Olorunda)
21 Olanrewaju Sulaimon/Adesegun Aluko (Ikorodu West)
22 Olanrewaju Apatira/Oluwayomi Lawrence (Itire-Ikate)
23 Oladotun Olakanle/Olufunke Hassan (Onigbongbo)
24 Oladele Oshinowo/Folake Kayode (Agboyi Ketu)
25 Oladapo Famuyiwa/Ajoke Obe (Agbado-Oke Odo)
26 Olabisi Adebajo/Adewale Hamzat (Mosan Okunola)
27 Musbau Ashafa/Abiodun Kareem (Oto Awori)
28 Moyosore Ogunlewe/Saliu Babatunde (Kosofe)
29 Gbadebo-Alogba/Femi Kabir (Ijede)
30 Monsuru Bello/Ayodele Ayodeji (Ejigbo)
31 Mojeed Balogun/Yomi Mayungbe (Ikeja)
32 Lasisi Akinsanya/Afeez Akinyemi (Igando-Ikotun)
33 Kunle Sanyaolu/Mutiu Adebiyi (Egbe-Idimu)
34 Kunle Agoro/Ayodele Benson (Imota)
35 Kolade Alabi/Zainat Kupouyi (Bariga)
36 Kayode Omiyale/Bolanle Ayeleru (Yaba LCDA)
37 IIsmail Akinloye/Lateef Adesanya (Eredo)
38 Henugbe Gbenu/Rauf Ibrahim (Badagry West)
39 Hammed Tijani/Coker Oladipo (Ojokoro)
40 Ganiu Egunjobi/Gbenga Abiola (Agege)
41 Funmilayo Akande/Olawale Olufemi (Apapa-Iganmu)
42 Fuad Atanda-Lawal/Akinbowale Macaulay (Ikoyi/Obalende)
43 Emmanuel Bamgboye/Tunbosun Aruna (Mushin)
44 Bolatito Sobowale/Omoshalewa Laguda (Ayobo-Ipaja)
45 Banjo Adebisi/Olawale Ameen (Ikorodu North)
46 Bamidele Yusuf/Muiz Dosumu (Surulere)
47 Bamidele Kasali/Oluremi Alogba (Lekki)
48 Babatunde Johnson/Kafila Akanni (Orile Agege)
49 Ayoola Fatai/Lucky Uduikhue (Ajeromi).
50 Almoruf Oloyede/Modupe Badmus (Oshodi)
51 Alade Folawiyo/Adejoke Balogun (Lagos Island East)
52 Adewale Anomo/Wasiu Dehinsilu (Ikosi Ejinrin)
53 Adesegun Bankole/Adeola Adetoro (Eti-Osa)
54 Adebayo Olasoju/Sadiq Saliu (Isolo)
55 Abolanle Bada/Olayinka Ogunleye (Ikosi/Isheri)
56 Abdullahi Olowa/Isiaka Olatunji (Ibeju)
57 Abdulhamed Salawu/Adekunle Ekinyemi (Somolu)
Also, all the three Senators in Lagos state are Muslims.
They are:
Senator Lagos Central – Senator Sanni Wasiu Eshilokunon;
Senator Lagos East: Senator Tokunbo Abiru;
Senator Lagos West: Senator Oluranti Adebule.
Despite these, we Christians never raised eyebrow. So why is the Lagos State House of Assembly stoking religious tension by rejecting many Commissioner-nominees on religious grounds, deceptively couched for the public as insufficient documentation?
For a political party that has a Muslim/Muslim ticket and recently appointed new Chairman and Secretary who are both Muslims, reeks of outlandish hypocrisy.
We need to caution the Lagos State House of Assembly to stop this dangerous religious politics for the peace and progress of Lagos State.
Pastor Eliashib James
National Lead.
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