By Shakirah Adunola
A committee raised by President Muhammadu Buhari to resolve the tussle over the ownership of the disputed Obalende Muslim Praying-Ground, between the Lagos State Jama’atul Muslimeen Council (otherwise known as Lagos Central Mosque) and officials of the Department of State Services (DSS) stationed at Dodan Barracks, was in Lagos for site inspection.
The committee, led by Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, with other members, including Minister of Defence, Maj.-Gen. Bashir Salihi Magashi (rtd); Works and Housing Minister, Babatunde Fashola and some heads of security agencies, met with representatives of the Council led by Baba Adinni of Lagos/Executive Chairman of Lagos Central Mosque, Sheikh AbdulAfeez Abou; Executive Vice Chairman of Lagos Central Mosque, Sikiru Alabi-Macfoy; former Federal Commissioner for Works, Lateef Femi Okunnu; President, Muslim Community of Lagos State (MCLS), Prof. Tajudeen Gbadamosi and member of the Lagos Central Mosque Executive Council, Dr. Abdullah Jibril Oyekan.
Meanwhile, the Lagos meeting between the committee and leaders of the Muslim community was more of friendly affairs as Okunnu and Gambari went on a memory lane on the history behind the land.
Okunnu, who was a Federal Commissioner for Works when part of the land was ceded to the Gen. Yakubu Gowon-led government, enlightened the committee members.
Members of the committee later took a walk around the Obalende Eid Praying-Ground.
Also, speaking with journalists, Fashola said the committee was constituted by the President to review the petition of the Lagos Central Mosque regarding the encumbrances on the Obalende praying-ground.
Fashola said: “We have two weeks to submit a report to the President. We thought that having listened to everybody, it is also useful to come and have a site inspection here to actually see things for ourselves, especially for those who are not familiar with the place and the history.
“Thankfully, we have been blessed today with the presence of Alhaji Femi Okunnu, who was Commissioner of Works at the time Gen. Yakubu Gowon was relocated to this place and when the military relationship with the land of the Central Mosque Jammah started.
“So, he provided some insight. We had the good fortune of having the presence of Baba Adinni who also has a lot of historical perspectives to share dating back to when the first Minister of Lagos, Yar’Adua, father of late President Musa Yar’Adua used to also worship with them on this same praying-ground.
Alabi-Macfoy said the matter had been resolved, affirming that the Muslim community would pray at the Eid praying-ground.
According to him, the visit by the committee shows that we have the right to this place. “The petition we send to the government is to give it back to us. The president is very attentive, he set up a committee and he told us that they would do justice. We have an Indenture that gives us this land but they have encroached on some of it. The committee brought a surveyor who will do the survey of the whole place.
“From my close contact with the President a few weeks ago, I discovered that he is a man that knows what he is doing and you cannot rush him into taking a decision. He will listen to you attentively and give a very brief and concise reply. He is somebody that makes up his mind and fulfills his promise. He is an action man,” Alhaji Alabi-Macfoy said.
Prof. Gbadamosi described as heartwarming that after so many years of letter writing, there is light at the end of the tunnel.
He said: “The presidency has turned up to resolve the matter once and for all and I believe that the president is sincere. He has set up this high-level delegation; that cannot be for fun and they have taken their job seriously. They have come to Lagos to inspect the site and they have met with leaders of the Muslim Community in Lagos State. I believe we can now look forward to an end to this issue.”
Muslim Umma of Southwest (MUSWEN) Deputy President I, Alhaji Rafiu Ebiti said the matter would have been resolved before 1966 but you know the military was in power for quite a long time.
“It is good to know that the president is committed to resolving this issue and that is a very positive thing. I think he is very sincere about it. It is not possible in any human organisation not to have conflict. This is not a dialogue thing and I hope and pray that everybody will be satisfied at the end of the day,” he said.
Source: The Guardian