The Coalition of Northern Youth Groups has said that the recent allegations that the governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike ordered the demolition of a mosque in Portharcourt were “falsehood” orchestrated by politicians to “fan the furnace of ethnic, religious or regional division just for self-serving and fiendish gains”.
In a statement made available to journalists in Kaduna, National Convener of the group, Mohammed Sanni said from available statistics, the Rivers state governor is more tolerant of other religions than most of those accusing him of intolerance.
According to him, “the Governor of Rivers State – Chief Nyesom Wike is a very good friend of the North and a brother to the Muslim community” adding that it is mischievous for anybody to run to alter the narrative.
He said when news of the demolition of the Mosque in Portharcourt broke, it carried out investigations and found out that the structure being labelled as a mosque was a personal building of an individual who did not obtain necessary permits for his structure.
“The recent wild rumour of an alleged demolition of a mosque located at Trans Amadi Road, GRA, Rivers State is not only false and misleading but intended to draw religious ire, stir political tension and widen the chasm of national division, which rather requires healing and bonding at this point in time.
“It should be noted that we immediately swung into action on hearing the disturbing news and have conducted an on the spot visit to the said location and our findings are very contrary to the falsehood being peddled. A diligent assessment of the location showed that even though structures were demolished around that area, none of such structures was or is a mosque building.
In a statement made available to journalists in Kaduna, National Convener of the group, Mohammed Sanni said from available statistics, the Rivers state governor is more tolerant of other religions than most of those accusing him of intolerance.
According to him, “the Governor of Rivers State – Chief Nyesom Wike is a very good friend of the North and a brother to the Muslim community” adding that it is mischievous for anybody to run to alter the narrative.
He said when news of the demolition of the Mosque in Portharcourt broke, it carried out investigations and found out that the structure being labelled as a mosque was a personal building of an individual who did not obtain necessary permits for his structure.
“The recent wild rumour of an alleged demolition of a mosque located at Trans Amadi Road, GRA, Rivers State is not only false and misleading but intended to draw religious ire, stir political tension and widen the chasm of national division, which rather requires healing and bonding at this point in time.
“It should be noted that we immediately swung into action on hearing the disturbing news and have conducted an on the spot visit to the said location and our findings are very contrary to the falsehood being peddled. A diligent assessment of the location showed that even though structures were demolished around that area, none of such structures was or is a mosque building.