The Lagos State
Government on Tuesday ruled out the possibility of opening churches and mosques
across the state now.
The Federal
Government had on Monday lifted the ban on mosques and churches in the country
based on guidelines and protocols agreed with state governments.
But the state
government on Tuesday said opening churches and mosques might not occur now due
to the peculiar nature of Lagos State.
Prince Anofiu
Elegushi, Commissioner for Home Affairs, while fielding questions from newsmen
at a Ministerial briefing said the possibility of reopening churches and
mosques in the state had been ruled out.
“Even before the
pronouncement by Federal Government, we have been having meeting with the
religious leaders, we even have one with Safety Commission, looking at the
possibility of reopening of religious houses.
‘’We also had one
with the leaders of the two faith and I want to tell you categorically that at
that meeting, possibility of reopening religious houses was ruled out totally.
‘’They claimed that
they cannot take such responsibility of ensuring that only 20 or 50 people are
praying behind them. Like an Imam said, he doesn’t know what is going on at the
back immediately he is leading a prayer. He said if more than 20 or 50 people
are staying at his back he was not going to take responsibility for their
presence.
‘’So in the meeting,
we ruled out in totality the issue of reopening the religious houses until we
have a clear coast for us to do so. The Federal Government mentioned it, but it
never ruled out the state in achieving that pronouncement, so all states will
have to look at possibility of doing so in their respective states.” Elegushi
said.
He added: “We all
know Lagos is still having more figures. So definitely, that will speak to our
decision. But the governor of the state will come out with further directives.
We will call the two faith together and discuss the pronouncement and I can
assure you that they themselves will tell us not to do it.”
Elegushi also said
the government had started the process of automating the processing of money
lending licenses, revealing that since the commencement of the process few
months ago, it had received 207 applications out of which approvals was granted
for 184 applicants.
He explained that
the decision to automate the process of money lending licenses in the State was
to ensure a hitch-free renewal and fresh applications by prospective
applicants.
Elegushi reported
that only one application had so far been declined by the Ministry while 22
applications were currently being reviewed, stressing that the initiative would
henceforth guarantee easy access to loan opportunities to residents of the
State and ultimately provide employment for the youths.
According to him,
“the initiative is cost effective for grassroots financing and the requirements
are simple and straightforward. The forms are available and the processes are
very friendly. In addition, the automation of the money lending processes would
help address several issues of trust that had overtime bedeviled the
practitioners.”
Elegushi described
the various Money Lenders across the State as the mini-micro economic
stimulants that created jobs, generate wealth, alleviate poverty and widens the
tax net, thereby increasing the socio-economic status of the State through the
provision of enabling environment for small scale business and entrepreneurship.
He recalled that
prior to the automation of the money lending processes; the Ministry had
earlier held Stakeholders’ Forum on the need to examine the laws guiding the
activities of money lenders in the State in order to make members of the public
repose more confidence in the practitioners.
The commissioner
reiterated the support of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in creating an enabling
environment for easy loan accessibility to the citizens with emphasis on
pragmatic strategies for achieving positive and cost effective results in
grassroots financing which will invariably help in achieving the T.H.E.M.E.S
Agenda in which ‘Making Lagos a 21st Century Economy’ can become a reality.
While saying that
money lender practitioners constituted key players in small and medium
enterprises and are promoters of economic growth and prosperity of the State,
the Commissioner expressed the hope that other practitioners in the business of
money lending would key into the initiative by the government.
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