Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State on Saturday hinted that his government has duly notified President Goodluck Jonathan of attempts by a security agency to implicate him over issues amounting to promotion of religious extremism and secession.
The governor, in a statewide broadcast, said all allegations of Islamisation of the state and secession were calculated to scandalise his government.
A national daily, The SUN, had on Saturday reported that Aregbesola had been placed on security watch over alleged Islamisation of the state and plan to secede.
While the governor described the allegation of religious extremism as patently false, he said that the second allegation on secession was laughable.
He said: “I want to assure you therefore that there is no cause for alarm. What you are seeing is the handwork of an overzealous and misguided leadership of a security agency that has mixed up allegiance to the constitution, the Nigerian people and their welfare with the partisan interest of a transient occupier of state office.
“This intelligence, we must assure you, has been in our possession and we have duly notified President Goodluck Jonathan, GCFR, who we believe has sensed the urgency in the matter and is working to correct this embarrassing disposition of a tiny leadership of a federal agency capable of causing chaos and destabilisation. The shenanigan will pass.”
Debunking allegation of promoting religious extremism, Aregbesola said nothing in the action of his administration since his assumption of office suggested this, adding that rather his government had promoted religious harmony, tolerance and cooperation and communal peace.
The governor said: “Nigeria is a secular state in which the people are adherents of diverse religious faiths, while some are not religious at all. In our state here, we have large populations of members of all religious groups, including traditional, who have lived in harmony in the past 150 years, at least.
“Yoruba cosmogony which accommodates polytheism has made it easy for all religious groups to cohabit, interrelate, intermarry and accommodate each other without the tension and conflict prevalent in other parts of the country on account of religion. There is no family without members of different religious persuasions in Osun.
“I have never hidden the fact that I am a Moslem. This is within my constitutional right as a Nigerian. This notwithstanding, within my own family, there are Christians who practice their choice religion freely, without let or hindrance.
“It is therefore impracticable for any religious group to lord it over anyone, or for a particular government to islamise the state as alleged.
“As governor, I am not in any position to promote one religion over another. My cabinet, as is apparent to all, is dominated by Christians. Every member is chosen strictly on the considerations of professional competence, integrity, party membership and loyalty. At no time was their religion considered as the basis for appointment.
“Rather, I have promoted personal liberty and every aspect of freedom, including freedom of religion, since we came to power.”
He also reminded all that despite being a Muslim, his relationship with leaders of other faiths was well pronounced.
He added, “It is a reflection of our openness, fairness, accommodation and impartiality that prominent Christian religious leaders, including Pastors Enoch Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Mathew Ashimolowo of Kingsway International Christian Church in London, Prophet Samuel Abiara of Christ Apostolic Church, the Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Dominion), Archbishop Nicholas Okoh, Prophet Gabriel Fakeye of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Ayo ni o, among others, have visited me at the Government House and commended our administration for promoting religious harmony in the state.
“Of course, I have visited the Redemption Camp and several parishes of RCCG and other churches before and since we came to government. Those familiar with church history in Nigeria will know of the Christian revival that broke out in the middle of the last century in Oke-Ooye in Ilesa under Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola which have produced many of today’s great men of God within 30-mile radius of the town. As an Ijesa, I am proud of this religious heritage.”
Saying that the controversy which brewed on the use of Hijab (head cover) last year was amicably resolved among the Muslims and Christians, Aregbesola said that alleging that the new schools uniform being planned by the state government had religious motive was a lame argument.
He explained that new uniforms are being proposed with local batik while local designers have been called to submit bids as part of the strategies for boosting the local economy.
On the allegation that he is promoting secession, Aregbesola said his administration remains unapologetic about promoting the identity of the State of Osun within the Nigerian federation.
Aregbesola said: “We are Omoluabi, the very epitome of the virtuous, and we have indicated our desire to be projected as such to the world, within our constitutionally guaranteed right in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We are proud of our ancestry, noble heritage and our history. We are therefore unapologetic if we cut an image for ourselves that projects who we are within the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We are in a federation. It is our bounden duty to reflect this in governance and everyday life.
“It is appalling that there is semantic misunderstanding of the difference between ‘Osun State’ and the ‘State of Osun’ which we have adopted. This grammatical hair-splitting will be considered laughable in an elementary English language class.
“Our crest is a reflection of our history and proud heritage. Indeed, all the states of Nigeria had their separate crests until 1975 when the military embarked on a more unitarist state policy. Even now, other states and regions have their emblems, crests, flags and slogans.”