Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, has berated people calling for a christian to succeed him as governor of the state, saying religious affiliation alone cannot guarantee good governance.
He said this yesterday at an inter-faith conference entitled: “Peace, Religious Harmony and Good Governance: Issues and Challenges,” held at Golden Tulip, Festac Town, Lagos.
According to him, good governance is a process through which people’s goals and aspirations could be achieved, and it has no direct bearing with the administrator’s religious beliefs.
Fashola’s words: “I read in one of the papers this morning, a statement that was credited to the effect that a group is insisting on a christian governor. “I don’t recall the last time that a governor of Lagos was elected on his religious beliefs.
“What will the preference for governor of one faith over the other even benefit us? Will it give one religion roads that other faiths cannot use? “Will it give them schools that children from other faiths cannot attend, or will it bring water that only one faith can drink?”
The governor added: “Will it begin to draw a very clear line between poverty and faith? Does hunger know your faith? “Maybe we should begin to draw the line of distinction and begin to have christian money and muslim money; and in the blood banks now, where life is being threatened, maybe we should begin to have christian blood and muslim blood.”
He implored the people to shun all forms of religious dichotomy, saying that the nation had integrated for over 50 years, and could not afford to be taken back now.
Fashola also called on religious leaders to guide their pulpits with utmost responsibility and watch what is being churned out from there. The governor, who described faith as a powerful tool that must not be used for personal aggrandisement, cautioned against all forms of religious debates that lead to nowhere. “There are rules in the legal profession; there are rules in football as well; you cannot tackle from behind.
“What are the rules in religious debates; who is going to be the umpire? I know that there are many people for who spiritually is a calling; I also know that for some, it’s a business.
“For a long time, the state and religion had been one, but over time, we have also tried to separate religion the state, but it has not been a successful venture. “I’m not sure that clear separation will happen and I’m not even sure what clear separation will deliver.
“But perhaps, one of the things I will suggest is that we should take better control of our pulpits and be more restrained in what comes from there,” Fashola stated.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Home Affairs and Culture, Mr. Oyinlomo Danmole, while welcoming participants to the conference, maintained that the meeting became imperative to examine the correlation of peace and religious harmony.