Bauchi, Nigeria - Following the religious crisis that engulfed Zango area of the Bauchi metropolis, last week, the state government is to set-up an inter-religious committee consisting religious stakeholders with the aim of promoting religious harmony among the people of the state.
This was disclosed by the Special Assistant to the Governor on Media Affairs, Sanusi Mohammed, saying the objective of the inter-religious committee is to give early warning signals of any perceived religious crisis with a view of nipping it before it erupts.
According to him, the committee would consist of traditional rulers, community and religious leaders who would meet from time to time to review their activities with a view of providing religious harmony in the state.
Mohammed also said the state government would hold a stakeholders’ meeting aimed at coping with the frequent occurrence of religious crises and noted that the meeting with stakeholders was necessary, considering the recent events in the state.
He expressed the determination of the state government to ensure that peace prevailed in the state.
According to him, “security has been beefed up in the state to ensure such crisis like the one that happened last Monday would not repeat itself,” adding that the ban on public preaching is still in force across the state which is aimed at ascertaining religious preachers before they go public to cause disaffection among the people of the state.
Also speaking, Chairman of the State Shariah Commission, Ahmed Muktar said even before the incident that occurred, his commission had proposed a legislation restricting public preaching in the state.
He added that in conjunction with the stakeholders, the commission had presented the bills before the House of Assembly, expected to be passed to law.
However, the Police Commissioner, Atiku Yusuf Kafur said that there was no link between the event that occurred at the previous Boko Haramu that happened in the state and noted that the late leader of the Kalakato sect, Mallam Badamasi preached his message out of provocation to his followers which he added sparked off reaction from his followers.