By BOLA BADMUS, Lagos

Lagos State government, on Thursday, finally resolved the long-standing dispute rocking the Agege Hausawa Muslim community which had led to the closure of the Central Mosque as the Seriki Hausawa, Alhaji Isa Muhammed Dogonkadai, and all his subjects have agreed to work together for peace, unity and progress of the community.

Following the resolution of the conflict, which was arrived at a stakeholders parley called by the State Ministry of Home Affairs, with the commissioner, Hon Anofi Elegushi, directing the affair, alongside his counterpart in Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Hon Abdulkabir Ahmed; and Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Islamic Affairs, Mr JebeAbdulai Ahmed, the Agege Central Mosque, which had been short for long due to the crisis would be reopened for service on Friday.

The Seriki Hausawa, as directed would lead his subjects to observe the Jumat service, in line with COVID-19 directives as enjoined by the government, while the two commissioners would join them, being part of the resolution at the parley.

The crisis rocking the community had been partly due to disagreement over the planned renovation of the Agege Central Mosque by some section of the community, with the claim that the Seriki had allegedly hijacked the worship centre and converted it to a personal property together with his family.

The Mosque was built in 1942.

But at the meeting, which took place at the Government Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja, the Seriki denied the allegation, saying nobody ever approached him for the planned renovation, asserting that he stood for the peace and progress of the community.

“Nobody approached me for any planned renovation, there was no way I would have stopped anybody from carrying out such exercise,” he said, even as he recalled that he never stopped individuals who had done a similar thing in the past.

The meeting also resolved that the long-delayed renovation exercise should now commence on Saturday, while the committee for the exercise would be well structured thereafter.

Speaking, the State Commissioner for Home Affairs, Prince Elegushi, expressed delight at the outcome of the stakeholder’s meeting which lasted several hours, saying that the parley had been able to resolve the dispute.

According to him, the meeting agreed that renovation of the Arewa Central Mosque in Agege be commenced and a Jumat service is held there tomorrow.

“We are here to resolve the issue leading to the closure of the Arewa Central Mosque in Agege. In resolving the issue, we were able to discover some other issues which we have also resolved.

“We have agreed to open the mosque and directed that the renovation should commence,” he told journalists at the end of the meeting.

Also speaking, the Seriki Hausawa, Alhaji Dogonkadai, expressed appreciation to God Almighty for the turnout, saying the Agege community had always remained one united community and would continue to remain so.

He also thanked the state government for bringing about the resolution of the conflict. (Nigerian Tribune)

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