The Abuja National Mosque Management Board has described the news the media reports alleging that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has approved a partial demolition of the monument, as fake.
Director of Finance and Administration of the National Mosque, Ambassador Haliu Shuaib, and Imam of the Mosque, Dr Muhammad Kabir Adam, debunked the report at a press conference hosted by the Executive Secretary of Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Shehu Hadi Ahmad, Sunday.
Daily Trust recalls that the board led by its Chairman, the Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, had visited the minister on Wednesday to seek clarification on the status of its plots 63 and 99 in the wake of the administration’s drive to recover all ground rents debts.
At the meeting, Wike extended the three-month ultimatum to religious groups since they largely depend on freewill donations from members.
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Describing the report as the handiwork of conflict merchants bent on creating religious tension in the nation and casting the minister in a bad light, the board said its Wednesday’s visit to the minister was fruitful as he received them warmly.
Shuaib said, “There was never a time the Honourable Minister mentioned the demolition of any part of the National Mosque. He, however, gave an example of the demolition of a Mosque in Port Harcourt which did not exist when he was a governor. Like what happened now, he revealed that social media can cause confusion in society if care is not taken.
“The general public should, therefore, ignore the social and print media campaign and completely disregard the fake news in circulation”.
Earlier, the FCDA boss said the minister had told his guests that he had not been briefed about the status of a plot belonging to the mosque, part of which is affected by a road interchange.
