Stop sponsoring pilgrims, bishop tells FG

Pilgrims


The Archbishop of the Ecclesiastical Province of Lagos and Diocesan Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Lagos Mainland, Most Revd. Adebayo Akinde, has cautioned the federal and state governments against spending public funds on pilgrimages.

The clergyman, who said this during a visit by leaders of the diocese The Punch Place to mark the 10th anniversary of its inauguration, stated that Nigeria, being a secular state, had no reason to be involved in the sponsorship of pilgrimages to Jerusalem and Saudi Arabia.

According to Akinde, government should uphold the spirit of the Nigerian constitution, which President Muhammadu Buhari swore to do.


He said, “President Buhari, if I remember correctly, even said he was going to stop it (sponsoring pilgrimages). So, I am shocked that in 2016, government is still sponsoring people to Jerusalem or Mecca for pilgrimage.

“People should spend their hard earned money to promote the advancement of their religion. What government is doing is totally dishonest and a misdirection of national wealth. What if tomorrow, pagan worshippers say they want to go to Haiti? Would government start sponsoring them to go there?

“If tomorrow, the Ifa people say they want to start going to Brazil, will the government sponsor them? Or if a sizeable number of Nigerians are becoming Hare Krishna, would we start sponsoring them to go to India? We don’t have just two religions in Nigeria.

“These are contentious, explosive issues that government should have nothing to do with. Anybody who believes he must go to Jerusalem should talk to God. If God wants you to go, he will give you money. The same goes for anyone who wants to go to Mecca.”

Speaking on the proliferation of immorality in the country, the archbishop advised Nigerians not to lose hope.

According to him, the level of decadence in Nigeria could not be compared to the immorality in developed countries.

On the bane of noise pollution in Lagos State, Akinde called on government to be more proactive.

The cleric said if noise pollution was to be tackled, government ought to have addressed it much sooner.

He said, “I live in Ebute Meta. From about 4 am, when we just got there, around the church are three mosques and you could hear the noise from three of them. Every Friday, on the street behind the church, there must be a party. There is a beer parlour; they would block it (the street) and just be blaring (music). Nobody talks.”

“That would happen every Friday night; at times, on Saturday again, they would be there. At times, Sunday. My hearing has deteriorated in the past 10 years that I became bishop because of the noise pollution in the neighbourhood.

“Government should not wait until 60 per cent of its citizens start wearing hearing aids before tackling the issue. What I am saying is that the issue should be tackled. Government should have the courage of conviction to face the issue, be they Christian, Muslim, or anyone that flouts it. Let the law take its toll.”

Akinde expressed gratitude to God for the 10-year journey of the diocese since its inauguration on August 23, 2006, adding that several activities would be rolled out in the month of August to commemorate the milestone