By Emeka Nze
Abuja
A member of the Committee on Religion, Dr Jonathan Obaje, nominated to the conference on the platform of Diaspora Nigerians has expressed shock at the rate religion is being deployed to commit crime in the country while the perpetrators were allowed to go scot-free.
To this end the delegate has advocated that all churches and mosques in official areas be pulled down saying that religion is a private affair and does not require the closing of roads because people are worshipping.
Dr Obaje who stated this during an interview with Blueprint noted that it became the major thrust of his committee to put laws in place to prevent criminal elements in the society from giving religion a bad name expressing happiness that his fellow committee members adopted the position and recommended the creation of Equity Commission to handle religious issues in the country.
The delegate from Singapore said he was also appalled that practitioners of traditional religion were not represented at the conference noting that when such held sway people rarely told lies or embezzled community monies.
Obaje was of the opinion that Christians and Muslims were causing most of the problems in the country adding that there was need to revert to traditional religion since our forefathers lived peacefully and respected the rule of law.
He said the practitioners of the two foreign dominant religions have become more catholic than the pope pointing out that churches and mosques have the offensive habit of disturbing the neighbourhoods using microphones and loud speakers even in the wee hours of the night when people are sleeping.
The medical practitioner challenged the faithful through their actions instead of blaring loudspeakers to disturb their neighbourhood.
According to the delegate, adherents of such religions do not deploy microphones and loudspeakers to disturb their neighbourhood, adding that with so much religion in the Nigerian society, bribery and corruption still thrive in such an unbelievable dimension.
He said there was the need to ensure that faithful of different religions practice their religion in a genuine and acceptable manner in the country.