The Bayelsa State Government has donated an expanse of land to the Muslim Community to enable them build a befitting place of worship in Yenagoa, the state capital.
Governor of the state, Hon. Seriake Dickson announced the donation when a delegation of Muslim leaders in the state paid him a courtesy call at the Government House.
The governor promised to provide an operational vehicle (bus), saying his government would not only make the land available but also support the Muslim Unman’s effort at constructing a central mosque.
Demonstrating government commitment towards the project, Hon. Dickson directed the Commissioner for Lands and Survey to map out the area in accordance with the master plan for the capital city.
Dickson justified the donation, saying; “All humanity is one; if God had chosen to make all of us adherents of one religion, he would have done so without our asking. We are all children of God regardless of the religion you belong to.”
The governor, who observed that Nigerians are presently living in unusual times occasioned by threats to national security, stressed the need for peaceful co-existence among the different ethnic and religious groups in the country.
He congratulated the Muslims on the peaceful celebration of Eid-el Maulud and urged them to be more vigilant and promptly report suspicious characters, whose activities are inimical to the prevailing peace in the state, to security agencies.
Speaking earlier, leader of the delegation, Alhaji Abdulrahman Zikiye Enewari commended the Dickson-led administration for its efforts at promoting security, infrastructural development and transparency in governance.
Assuring the governor of their continued support, the Muslim community requested government to provide them with a separate Muslim Board, a state central Mosque, an 18-seater bus and office accommodation for the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs.
