Christian leaders from Baptist Church walked out of a meeting
expected to broker peace between them and members of Osun Muslim
Community.
The meeting, it was gathered, was summoned by the Osun State Director of Security Services (SSS), Mr. Ike Madagwana.
The meeting had in attendance the state Police Commissioner, Mr. Femi Olanipekun, representative of the state government who were the immediate past Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Hon. Sunday Akere, and that of Justice and Attorney General of the state, Barrister Wale Afolabi.
Also present at the meeting were representatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and other relevant security agencies in the state.
It was gathered that during the two-hour meeting there was a hot argument between the security personnel and the officials from the Baptist Church.
According to a source at the meeting, the Christian leaders were of the opinion that they were not qualify to hold any meeting with them saying, it is only the CAN that could meet them on the issue.
“Those that came from the Baptist circle wanted to leave the venue as they claimed that they were not informed that there would be a meeting until they got to the place after receiving a call from the Director of SSS that he wanted to see them and they walked out eventually,” a source at the meeting revealed.
When contacted, a member in the Baptist Church delegation confirmed the development.
He narrated: “We wondered how we just want to see you in our office could now turn to be an unexpected meeting. We were even surprised that all the security outfits in the state had already gathered at the place waiting for our arrival.
“We declined to sit with them as we told them that, only CAN officials could meet us. How can they say that they want to see us in their office and organised a meeting that we were not aware of with us.”
“After a lot of persuasion by all security agencies that gathered there, we sat with them and when the issue of hijab was raised, we only told them that, we were not for war but for peace anytime, anyday but our own right also should not be taken away from us.
“To our own knowledge, it is not a meeting but invitation to see the SSS in their office before we met all those assembled in preparation to have a meeting with us. If there will be a meeting let them communicate with CAN officials.”
The State Police Commissioner, Mr. Femi Olanipekun, told newsmen that there was a peaceful meeting between the Christian body and the security agencies in the state to restore peace between the Christians and Muslims in the state.
Also on Wednesday night, representatives of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun state, government officials, held a meeting with the state Chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) over the issue of hijab wearing by Muslim female students in public secondary schools in the state.
The party representatives led by the immediate past Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of the state, Barrister Wale Afolabi and Hon. Sunday Afolabi, had in their entourage other key chieftains of the party.
Confirming the meeting, Hon. Sunday Akere said it was conveyed to allow peace reign in the state.
http://dailytimes.ng/osun-christian-leaders-walk-out-on-dss-govt-officials-at-peace-parley/
The meeting, it was gathered, was summoned by the Osun State Director of Security Services (SSS), Mr. Ike Madagwana.
The meeting had in attendance the state Police Commissioner, Mr. Femi Olanipekun, representative of the state government who were the immediate past Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Hon. Sunday Akere, and that of Justice and Attorney General of the state, Barrister Wale Afolabi.
Also present at the meeting were representatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and other relevant security agencies in the state.
It was gathered that during the two-hour meeting there was a hot argument between the security personnel and the officials from the Baptist Church.
According to a source at the meeting, the Christian leaders were of the opinion that they were not qualify to hold any meeting with them saying, it is only the CAN that could meet them on the issue.
“Those that came from the Baptist circle wanted to leave the venue as they claimed that they were not informed that there would be a meeting until they got to the place after receiving a call from the Director of SSS that he wanted to see them and they walked out eventually,” a source at the meeting revealed.
When contacted, a member in the Baptist Church delegation confirmed the development.
He narrated: “We wondered how we just want to see you in our office could now turn to be an unexpected meeting. We were even surprised that all the security outfits in the state had already gathered at the place waiting for our arrival.
“We declined to sit with them as we told them that, only CAN officials could meet us. How can they say that they want to see us in their office and organised a meeting that we were not aware of with us.”
“After a lot of persuasion by all security agencies that gathered there, we sat with them and when the issue of hijab was raised, we only told them that, we were not for war but for peace anytime, anyday but our own right also should not be taken away from us.
“To our own knowledge, it is not a meeting but invitation to see the SSS in their office before we met all those assembled in preparation to have a meeting with us. If there will be a meeting let them communicate with CAN officials.”
The State Police Commissioner, Mr. Femi Olanipekun, told newsmen that there was a peaceful meeting between the Christian body and the security agencies in the state to restore peace between the Christians and Muslims in the state.
Also on Wednesday night, representatives of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun state, government officials, held a meeting with the state Chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) over the issue of hijab wearing by Muslim female students in public secondary schools in the state.
The party representatives led by the immediate past Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of the state, Barrister Wale Afolabi and Hon. Sunday Afolabi, had in their entourage other key chieftains of the party.
Confirming the meeting, Hon. Sunday Akere said it was conveyed to allow peace reign in the state.
http://dailytimes.ng/osun-christian-leaders-walk-out-on-dss-govt-officials-at-peace-parley/
Written by NEWSTRAWL ONLINE UPDATE
Sodiq Oyeleke is a Media, Human Resources, Project Management and Public Relations Practitioner
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