By Abideen Adebayo
On Wednesday, March 26, the Chairman of Ekiti West Local Government, Hon. Moses Omojola and his Vice, Hon. Isaac Fatoyinbo, led a combined security troupe, including mobile Policemen and members of Amotekun corps to the Sabo area of Aramoko Ekiti. Already stationed on ground was a bulldozer and in a jiffy, the council chiefs signalled to the man behind the wheel to pull down a modern Mosque being built by the town’s Muslim community. Before the promoters of the Mosque, including the Chief Imam of the town, Sheikh Abdulraheem Bamigbola, could get the information, the deed had been done. Their cherished Mosque was gone.
It was the second Mosque to be demolished in the area within the last six months despite all efforts made to prevail on Alara-in-council and the leadership of Aramoko Development Association to spare the second one. The entire drama that led to the demolition started six months ago. The Alara-in-Council had reached out to the Muslim community on the need to vacate the existing Mosque at Sabo because the area had been set aside for public use. The Senate Leader, Distinguished Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, had decided to build a modern market in the area. It was good news and everybody jubilated, including the Hausa-Fulanis, who are resident in the Sabo area. To this end, the Chief Imam of Aramoko Ekiti took it from there and met the Hausa Community on the need to immediately vacate the Mosque. Within 24 hours, this directive was carried out for the market project to proceed and the Mosque was subsequently demolished.
A few months later, the Senator’s constituency project was completed and the Muslim Community approached the building committee and the contractors on the plan to move meters away and rebuild their Mosque. The demand was granted. In fact, the chiefs added that even if the Muslims didn’t come to make the request, it’s a known fact that the land for the Mosque was already set aside. Those in the meeting include;
- Our Kabiyesi, the Alara of Aramoko Ekiti, Oba Adegoke Olu-Adeyemi
2.High Chief Asao
- High Chief Abatiba
4.High Chief Ogboni
5.High Chief SAJOWA
6.High Chief Oisikin
(The proceeding at the meeting is on record and can be provided on demand).
Before the commencement of the work, the leadership of the Muslim community met Seriki Hausawa and his chiefs on the need to ensure that a modern mosque that would meet the standard of the Market be put in place. In line with this, work began and lasted weeks without any objection. But just as the building was about to be roofed, a few elites from the town approached Alara-in-Council that the Mosque was inappropriate there.
This new twist started like a joke but within a week, it gained traction and became a subject of debate on major Aramoko platforms. A lot of arguments were put forward but sadly nobody pointed out that the Mosque had existed in that same spot alongside the market for over 50 years. It started as a secluded plain ground for prayer but 12 years ago, the Muslim community mobilised themselves and constructed a mosque.
After a message was sent to the promoters of the Mosque that the town was yet to conclude on whether to allow the Mosque to be, a ‘stop work’ inscription was written with charcoal on the building. Meetings upon meetings took place between members of the Muslim community and Alara-in-Council. On Sunday, March 23, a representative of Alara-in-Council and ADA met with the Muslim community and delivered what seemed like a final verdict that a beautiful demarcation should be put in place between the Market and the Mosque and with a caveat that the mosque’s entrance should not face the Market. The fact that it would cost them more notwithstanding, the Muslims accepted the verdict.
The following day, as they were moving towards carrying out the demarcation in preparation for the inauguration of the Market, a counter verdict came that the Mosque must be pulled down. Confused, the Muslim community summoned a meeting where it was decided that the Secretary of Aramoko Muslim Professionals, Mallam Raheem Akingbolu, a Journalist, should write a letter of appeal to Alara-in-Council and copy relevant authorities. The letter was written on Tuesday, March 24 and just as Mallam Akingbolu was planning to send the letter to appropriate quarters, Alara-in-Council, made a 360 degree turnaround and told the Muslm community not to worry and that the town had concluded to allow the Mosque to be. The council went ahead to assure them of their plan to effect the demarcation without involving the Muslim. At this stage, they expressed their regret that the Muslims had been put under pressure for weeks and spent so much on the building.
With this, the Chief Imam and other leaders within the Muslim community reached out to Mallam Akingbolu not to send any letter, rather, he should be thinking of putting together a letter of appreciation to be addressed to the council and the leadership of Aramoko Development Association. Unknown to the Muslim community, the last emissary that came with the message about the decision not to demolish the mosque was nothing but a ploy to demobilize the Muslims against approaching the court for either interlocutory injunction or reaching out to the Senator or State Government.
The Muslims had heaved a sigh of relief and started preparing to join other members of the community in receiving the respected Senate Leader, when they received the unexpected news. Their cherished Mosque had been pulled down. No explanation given this time. Nobody cared about the resources expended. And nobody cared about compensation. One great message; Muslims are like second class citizens in Aramoko and so vulnerable.
The attached letter by our dear brother, Mallam Raheem Akingbolu shed more light on the history of the Mosque and the scenario that led to its demolition.
Aramoko Muslim Professionals
C/o Aramoko Central Mosque
Anaye Quarters, Aramoko Ekiti
Chairman, Alara-in-Council
Alara’s Palace
Attention: Chief Diran Adebayo,
The Asao of Aramoko Ekiti
Dear sir,
Re: Plan to Demolish Sabo-Aramoko Community Mosque
I humbly write this on behalf of members of Aramoko Muslim professionals to address a few concerns about the plan to demolish the modern Sabo-Aramoko Community Mosque, which is nearing completion and to appeal to Alara-in-council and by extension the leadership of Aramoko Development Association (ADA) to rescind on the stand.
Our concerns;
- As law abiding citizens who understand and appreciate the importance of land revocation by government for public use, we agreed and cooperated with the community and let go of the existing Mosque at Sabo the moment the Aramoko Muslim Community were informed that our Distinguished Senator and Leader of the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele had concluded to build a modern market in Sabo.
- After the construction of the Market, the contractors and the committee in charge, who are also members of Alara-in-council, gave their nods to our request to build a new Mosque outside the area allocated for the market project. To ensure that the Mosque matched the standard of the modern market, the leadership of the Aramoko Muslim community summoned the Hausa community and gave them a matching order that the proposed Mosque must be modern, decent and meet the taste of the cosmopolitan Senate Leader.
- With this directive, the Mosque Building Committee swung into action and made sure they raised the stake. From the foundation of the building to the real construction, we made sure we went for the best and used the best materials and experts, not minding the cost implications.
- Sadly, after weeks of working on the project and approaching the roofing stage, a few dissident voices began a campaign of calumny that it was odd for a Mosque to exist beside the new market. The opponents of this laudable project instantly began a subtle campaign that the mosque must be demolished.
- This latest development didn’t only shock the Muslim community, it raised questions about the tolerance of the leadership of ADA and Alara-in-Council to the continuous growth of Islam in Aramoko Ekiti.
- Perhaps our greatest concern is the fact that the elites in Aramoko were quick to forget how the Muslim community has lived in harmony with other people in the town for about 200 years and has contributed in no small measure to the overall development of our dear town. Besides, the spot, which later developed into a mosque, had existed for over a decade alongside an existing market that had just been given a facelift.
- Contrary to the belief in some quarters that the mosque is unfit for the market, all over the world, Mosques are a complementary part in markets because of the opportunities they offer market men and women, especially strangers. It’s nothing but a mere fear of the unknown or a calculated attempt to reduce the Muslim community to second class citizens, who shouldn’t enjoy equal rights with other members of the community.
- After months of back and forth on the final decision about the Mosque, the entire Muslim community was in high spirit on Sunday, March 23, when a representative of Alara-in-Council and ADA met with the Muslim community and delivered what seemed like a final verdict that a beautiful demarcation should be put in place between the Market and the Mosque and with a caveat that the mosque’s entrance should should not face the Market. Despite the inconveniences and the additional cost this would attract, we accepted the verdict. But within 24 hours, those who were hellbent that the mosque must be demolished swung into action and sold another dummy to the leaders that our beautiful Mosque must be demolished.
- After all said and done, in view of the importance of the Mosque to the spiritual and social development of the community, members of Aramoko Muslim Professionals, see the need for dialogue and to appeal passionately to Alara of Aramoko Ekiti, members of the Alara in Council and ADA to reconsider their decision on the mosque and let it be. To Muslims, Mosque is a sacred place of worship that promotes bonding and spiritual development.
- While we are assuring Aramoko leaders of our commitment to the peaceful co-existent of the community, we also feel that our leaders should be magnanimous enough to appreciate the incontrovertible fact that the Sabo Hausawa has contributed so well to the social and economic development of Aramoko for decades and members of the Hausa community have become part and parcel of the town, hence the need to encourage them further by giving them sense of belonging.
While we are awaiting a positive response from the leadership of our dear town, we pray that Allah will continue to uplift Aramoko and strengthen our leaders in wisdom and good health.
Yours faithfully,
Akingbolu Raheem Ayodeji
General Secretary.
Cc:
Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele
Alara of Aramoko-Ekiti
Chairman, Ekiti West Local Government
President, Ekiti State Council for Islamic Affairs
President, President League of Imams and Alfas, Southwest, Edo and Delta
Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalist, Ekiti State
