Lagos may okay public holidays for Ifa, Ogun worshippers

Timothy Enietan-Matthews . . .
The Lagos State government may soon okay public holidays to commemorate the celebration of special events marking the worship of Ifa, Ogun, Sango and other forms of traditional worship in the state.
This hint was given on Tuesday by the state’s Commissioner for Home Affairs and Culture, Mr. Abdul-Hakeem Abdul-Lateef, at a meeting with religious leaders in the state at the Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja, while responding to request from the traditional worshippers.
The traditional worshippers at the forum argued that public holidays are often allotted to other religions, such as Christianity and Islam, but none was declared by the government for traditional worshippers.
Responding, Abdul-Lateef said that the government would look into the issues because “as a religion, you are entitled to the rights accorded to other religions.”
The state government, also in a bid to ensure that the state is not attacked by Boko Haram insurgents in the wake of the arrest of 45 members of the sect by the Department of State Services (DSS) called on religious organizations in the state to start using metal detectors and other security gadgets at their various worship centres in order to avoid any terrorist attack.
Mr. Abdul-Lateef, urged them to also engage the services of professional security officers so as to ensure safety of life and property.

Read also: Security alert as Boko Haram infiltrates Lagos

He said: “We would advise churches, mosques and other worship centers in Lagos State to buy metal detectors, and to employ more security personnel to ensure that extremists or terrorists do not have their way in Lagos. This is because they know how to target soft spots.”
The commissioner noted that no place is seen as safe unless residents of the community are proactive and vigilant, adding that “vigilance is the key word now.”
Continuing, Lateef said: “You must employ personnel that would be trained on how to use the metal detector in order to ensure that no one comes into your worship center with any explosives.
“Considering the status of Lagos, many have seen the state as the best place to live. So, on your part as religious leaders, you must know the statistics of the worshippers in your centers because insurgency is a major challenge.
“We will be creating a data base for all religious institutions in Lagos State. The enumerating exercise will afford us the opportunity to know the number of religious outfits in the state and where they are”, he said.

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