The news alleging the approval of partial demolition of the monument by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has been described as fake by the Abuja National Mosque Management Board.
The report was debunked at a press conference held by the Executive Secretary of Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Shehu Hadi Ahmad, on Sunday, where the Director of Finance and Administration of the National Mosque, Ambassador Haliu Shuaib, and Imam of the Mosque, Dr. Muhammad Kabir Adam, made the statement.
The board, led by its Chairman, the Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, visited the minister on Wednesday to seek clarification on the status of plots 63 and 99 in light of the administration’s effort to recover ground rent debts. During the visit, Wike extended the three-month ultimatum to religious groups, recognizing their reliance on voluntary donations. The board emphasized that the report was an attempt by conflict instigators to sow religious discord and tarnish the minister’s reputation. They expressed satisfaction with their visit to the minister, highlighting his warm reception.
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Shuaib clarified, “There was never a time the Honourable Minister mentioned the demolition of any part of the National Mosque. He, however, gave an example of the demolition of a Mosque in Port Harcourt which did not exist when he was a governor. Like what happened now, he revealed that social media can cause confusion in society if care is not taken. The general public should, therefore, ignore the social and print media campaign and completely disregard the fake news in circulation.”
Earlier, the FCDA boss conveyed that the minister had informed his guests that he hadn’t received a briefing about the status of a plot belonging to the mosque, of which a portion is affected by a road interchange.
