Gov. Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara, has assured the people of the state of his readiness to deploy the law and public fund to achieve peace, unity and progress in the state.
The governor gave this assurance in Ilorin on Tuesday in separate meetings with the leaderships of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Quareeb Association.
He assured the religious bodies that he would ensure justice by bringing perpetrators to book and averting future occurrence through proactive measures.
“I stand before God and man to effectively deploy the instrumentalities of the law and public fund to achieve peace, unity and progress in the state.
“Anyone who participated directly or indirectly in public disorder will be brought to book,” he added.
Ahmed urged the religious bodies not to allow the miscreants, who for economic reasons, are bent on causing disaffections among adherents of religions in the state.
“This state’s emblem is a State of Harmony; we must all collectively work to sustain our cherished peaceful environment.
“Do not play into the hands of mischief makers by linking the activities of miscreants on the New Year eve to religion; the benefit of unity is much to allow it slip off our hands,” he said.
Responding, the CAN chairman in the state, Prof. Tunde Opoola, urged the governor to ensure that justice is truly done to reassure the Christian community of the State Government’ commitment to peace.
Also, a community leader, Mr Gambari Usman, said the community was alerted by a Muslim woman, whose daughter was being raped in her presence.
Gambari lauded the Christian community in the area for coming to the rescue of the Muslim lady.
In his remark, the Chairman Alfathiu Quarib, Mallam Oniye Abdulrasak, said the association had harmonious relationship with the Christian community and dissociated the organisation from any attack on any church. (NAN)
