Nigeria in serious crisis, says Aregbesola

Rauf Aregbesola, the governor of Osun state, on Sunday lamented the spate of bombings in different parts of the country.

He noted that the bombing of the Kano central mosque last Friday proved that the nation was in crisis.

According to Semiu Okanlawon, the director, bureau of communication who quoted Aregbesola making these statements at the weekly prayer session of Nasrullahi -il Fathi Society of Nigeria (NASFAT), Osogbo branch where he joined other adherents to pray for Nigeria and Osun, the governor condemned the Kano mosque bombing in strong terms.

He stated that the mosque attacks showed that the insurgency transcended narrow religious confines people, the government, organisations and public analysts ascribed to it.

The governor who was inaugurated last Thursday for a second term in office argued that when a Muslim chose fellow Muslim as a target for an attack it meant that the insurgents had gone beyond a deliberate targeting of a particular religion.

He emphasised that no reasonable Muslim can justify attacks on Christians and churches let alone mosques and Muslims as a means of propagating the Islamic faith.

“The Friday bombing of Emir’s Palace Mosque has proved ultimately and beyond any doubt that this country faces daunting challenges posed by the Boko Haram insurgents,” Aregbesola said.

“Condemnable as the act is, yet it baffles one that a lot of us still deceive ourselves by reading religious colouration to this whole violence.

“I do not believe that a Muslim, who is a true Muslim, can do this to a Christian let alone a fellow Muslim hiding under the guise of promoting his religion.

“It is painful to hear that the places of worship are no longer safe places for our people.

“It indeed saddens the heart that people would go to prayer on a Friday or Sunday and there and then in the sanctuary of God meet his death in the most grievous manner.”

According to him, what the nation needs is fervent prayers to rescue it from the clutches of Boko Haram.

He called on the people of the state to be cautious and careful in their daily activities so as to prevent the violence from spreading to the state.

The governor identified market places, motor parks and other places of social gathering as prime targets for heinous crimes by the insurgents, advising people to be constantly vigilant and report any suspicious movements to the security agencies.

Meanwhile, Aregbesola, on Saturday said Nigerians had demonstrated their capacity to stand by and support fully any government that was committed to their welfare.

He was speaking in view of the support shown to him by the Osun people during his inauguration.
The governor while expressing gratitude for what he called an impressive turn-out of people at the swearing-in ceremony at the Osogbo township stadium last Thursday, said the people, by their turn out, made an impactful statement of affirmation that he was who they voted for on August 9, 2014.