Rivers govt, Muslim community bicker over Rainbow Mosque

The Islamic community in Rivers State has enjoyed long standing relationship with successive administrations in the state. During Sallah festivities, the community pays homage to the Government House to felicitate with the state governor on the occasion. Islamic clerics use such occasions to pray for peaceful co-existence in the state. The sponsoring of Muslims on […]

The Islamic community in Rivers State has enjoyed long standing relationship with successive administrations in the state. During Sallah festivities, the community pays homage to the Government House to felicitate with the state governor on the occasion.

Islamic clerics use such occasions to pray for peaceful co-existence in the state. The sponsoring of Muslims on pilgrimage to the holy land by the state government has become an annual ritual.

However, the cordial relationship between the Muslim community and its host state seems to have turned sour with the recent alarm raised by Muslim leaders that a mosque located at Rainbow Town in Trans Amadi, Port Harcourt, was demolished on August 20 by officials of the Rivers State Ministry of Urban Development.

The alarm, which went viral in the social media, raised tension among the Islamic community across the country. There were angry reactions from across the length and breadth of the country, just as Muslims faithful used various social media platforms to vent their anger on Governor Nyesom Wike.

But findings by our correspondent revealed that there was no existing completed building standing on the four plots of land which serves as a worship centre for the Muslim community in Trans Amadi axis of Port Harcourt.

A resident of Rainbow Town, who simply identified himself as Tamuno, said the land was an open field where Muslims converge every Friday to observe their prayers.

“The land is an open field where Muslims meet every Friday to observe their prayers. At a point, the land was fenced. Then, there was a building foundation at the end of the land which has gone beyond DPC level. There were also some pillars erected in the land,” he said.

He said that men suspected to be officials of Rivers State Urban Development Ministry visited the prayer ground and pulled down the pillars as well as the construction work that has gone up to DPC level.

The Vice President-General of Rivers State Council for Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Nasir Uwhor, said that Muslims don’t need to have a completed building before their place of worship can be called a mosque.

“There is no completed building in the disputed land. But you don’t have to have a completed building before you have a mosque. As long as people converged there and observe their prayers, it is a mosque. Some people put a canopy and worship, and such place becomes a church or a mosque. The fact that they have not seen a completed building does not mean that the place is not a mosque,” he stated.

The Chairman of Rainbow Central Mosque, Alhaji Abdullahi Musa Tabaco, had earlier told our correspondent that the Mosque was demolished on August 20 by officials suspected to be acting on the orders of the Rivers State government.

He said that the government officials, who came with armed policemen, pulled down the pillars erected at the site as well as the foundation of a building which has gone up to DPC level, citing non compliance with the State Urban development laws.

Alhaji Tabaco, who called on Rivers State Government to rescind its decision and allow them full ownership of the property, revealed that the state government under former Governor Rotimi Amaechi’s leadership had carried out a demolition of the first foundation laid for the building on February 5, 2010, a development that prompted Chief Edward Amadi to drag the state government to court.

The Executive Secretary of the mosque, Alhaji Aliu Abubakar Sadiq, said that the four plots of land accommodating the prayer ground was bought in 2008 while the building approval was given in 2009.

“We bought the land from Dr Edward Amadi in 2008 and approval was given for the building in 2009. In 2010, we fenced the land and put up pillars, while the foundation was laid in 2010. The first demolition was carried out by Amaechi on February 5, 2010 and this resulted in litigation between Dr Edward Amadi and the Rivers State government.”

Citing a Port Harcourt High Court judgment with suit No:/PHC/2103/2002 between Lyndon Amadi as claimant and  Mr. M. Ihunwo, Permanent Secretary Lands and Housing, Philip Oghogh, Urban and Regional Planning Department and the Attorney-General of the State  as Defendants, Sadiq said the court dismissed the case in their favour.

“On November 2, 2017 a judgment was delivered in favour of Chief Amadi. Rivers State did not appeal the judgment and we started another round of construction in 2018,” Sadiq stated.

Sadiq said officials of the Rivers State government on July 29 pulled down the barricades to the mosque as well as the pillars and came back on August 20 to demolish the foundation of a building which he said had gone up to DPC level.

He appealed to the state government to allow them use the property for worship, saying that the mosque is the only worship centre in the whole of Trans Amadi area where many Muslims worship every Friday.

Rivers State government on its part dismissed the claim that there was an existing building which was demolished, while also claiming that another court sitting in Port Harcourt ruled the case in its favour.

Governor Nyesom Wike described as unfortunate the information being circulated that the state government demolished a mosque in Port Harcourt, saying that the report was planted by mischief makers to create disaffection.

Addressing journalists at the location of the mosque on Monday, Governor Wike said there was no mosque on ground, hence nothing was demolished.

“I received calls from several prominent Nigerians on the fake news being circulated online.  I have come here with reporters and you can see that there was no mosque here.

“It is most unfortunate that fickle minded persons will claim that a mosque was demolished at this place, when no mosque existed here. The story was concocted by mischief makers to score cheap points.”

Wike explained that some persons started erecting illegal foundation at the disputed land, even though they had no approval to embark on any construction work.

“The persons who started the foundation had already dragged the state government to court on the disputed land.  The Rivers State government won the case. What they attempted to do was to start the illegal construction to tie the hands of the state government,” he said.

The governor advised the Muslim community not to allow themselves to be used by politicians to peddle false stories against the Rivers State government.

Wike reiterated that the state government operates within the rule of law and will not be distracted by the dishonest circulation of fake reports.

He stated that several mosques constructed on the approval of the state government exist across Port Harcourt and other major towns of Rivers State, without the government demolishing them.

Also speaking, the leader of the Hausa Community in Rivers State, Alhaji Musa Saidu, condemned the demolition of pillars and the foundation of a building in their worship site.

He said that freedom of worship is enshrined in the Nigerian constitution and called on the Rivers State government to allow them use the property for worship.

Alhaji Haroon Muhammed, an imam at the mosque, said “This is the most populated mosque around here. We have been harassed three times now – on the 29th of last month, then on August 16 and 20 without any formal notice.

“Today, we are denied a place of worship. We don’t want to foment any trouble with government officials. We want the world to help us beg the governor for us to have a place of worship because this central mosque is the only one serving the whole of Trans-Amadi. Members of the armed forces, the agencies, the police, army, oil company workers, and government workers, who are Muslims, worship in this place,” he said.