Land Issue: NRC moves to avert religious crisis in Osun

From Lateef Dada, Osogbo

The Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), has taken steps to avert religious conflict between a Muslim community in Osogbo, Osun State, and one Pastor Bukola Solomon, over a piece of land.

A Muslim group, Osun Coalition of Muslims for Justice, had accused officials of NRC of planning to cause a religious crisis by ceding a piece of land already allocated to the Muslims for Eid prayer to one Pastor Bukola Solomon.

However, the Area Manager of Railway Property Management, Innocent Agbaji, told our correspondent that the national headquarters of NRC has intervened and taken over the matter for amicable settlement.

“To avoid escalation of the crisis, management has waded in and asked them to apply for regularization. We have a directive from the headquarters to ensure that peace reigns between the two parties.

The two warring factions have, however, agreed to apply for regularization and agree with the decision of the management.

One of the Imams, Mudashir AbduSalam, commended the move by the management of NRC to settle the matter, assuring that Muslims are ready to allow peace.

He said, “with sad experiences that we have had before, we can not rule away their intervention but we hope that they will do the right thing. We raised alarm initially because the place was allocated to us and we were surprised that another person came some years after and wanted to erect the permanent building.

“We are peaceful people and we have made concerted efforts to ensure that peace reigns. We have been doing things together before they allocate the space to another person. Islam is peace and we don’t have any choice but to embrace peace. We must preach peace and live by example. It is our function to promote peace and this we will continue to do.”

Also, Pastor Bukola Solomon, said he has agreed to allow management of the railway property to settle the matter, saying “there is no issue of fighting on the land again because we are one.

“I applied for the land and they applied, that is not an issue. Everybody will cover his side. I want peace. I am ready for peace to reign and I will accept whatever is the outcome of the management.”