The Ondo State Government has promised to consider establishing a state chapter of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), following a request by the Muslim Ummah of South-West Nigeria (MUSWEN).
Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa gave the indication when he received a MUSWEN delegation led by its president, Alhaji Rasaki Oladejo, during a courtesy visit on Tuesday.
Oladejo, who is also the deputy president-general (South) of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), said the proposed chapter would provide a platform for Muslim and Christian leaders to address misunderstandings, resolve disputes and promote peaceful coexistence across the state.
He urged the state government to facilitate the administrative arrangements needed to establish the council, adding that it would strengthen existing efforts to promote religious harmony and prevent conflicts.
Oladejo explained that NIREC has 60 members drawn equally from the Muslim and Christian communities. The council is co-chaired by the Sultan of Sokoto, who is the president-general of the NSCIA, and the president of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).
He said NIREC’s executive secretary, Professor Muibi Opeloye, was prioritising the establishment of state chapters to strengthen interfaith engagement. The proposed Ondo chapter would comprise 14 members, with seven representatives each from the Muslim and Christian communities.
Beyond the proposed council, Oladejo commended Aiyedatiwa for his administration’s intervention in a dispute that affected the Muslim community in Ikare-Akoko for more than three years and led to the closure of its central mosque.
He said MUSWEN’s Mediation and Reconciliation Committee had visited the community to mediate in the dispute, with support from the state commissioner for local government and the chairman of the Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board.
According to Oladejo, the state government subsequently intervened to resolve the crisis, an effort he said deserved commendation.
The delegation also sought the government’s support for MUSWEN’s 11th General Assembly, scheduled for November 15 at the University of Ibadan Central Mosque Hall.
Oladejo said the gathering would bring together Muslim leaders, Islamic scholars and community representatives from across the South-West to discuss challenges affecting Muslims and the wider society, including economic hardship, insecurity and youth unemployment.
He also called for stronger collaboration between state governments and Muslim communities in education, healthcare, youth empowerment, poverty reduction and economic inclusion.
Responding, Aiyedatiwa promised to support the forthcoming assembly and said his administration would give favourable consideration to the request for a NIREC chapter in Ondo State.
The governor also commended the state’s Muslim community for maintaining peaceful coexistence with people of other faiths.
The delegation included MUSWEN Deputy President I, Alhaji Rafiu Ebiti; Deputy President II, Alhaji Wale Sonaike; Executive Secretary, Professor Wole Abbas; Opeloye; other MUSWEN officials; leaders of the Ondo State Muslim Community; and Islamic scholars.
