The Lagos State Government on Tuesday debunked media report that it was planning to commence paying salary to religious leaders, saying the claim was totally untrue and misleading.
Commissioner for Home Affairs, Abdulateef Abdulhakeem, who made the clarification while speaking on a television programme monitored in Lagos, said there was no iota of truth in the said report, and urged members of the public to disregard it in its entirety.
“The clear position is that the Lagos State Government is not intending to employ Imams and Pastors. There is no such plan and there is no willingness on our part to delve into a private realm.
“What exists in Lagos State is that there is a symbiotic relationship between the Lagos State Government and faith-based organisations and it is a mutually beneficial relationship which has contributed to the growth and development of the State,” Mr Abdulhakeem said.
The said report had quoted Abdulhakeem as saying that the government would soon place religious leaders on the state salary structure to encourage them use their position to re-orientate citizenry to shun corruption and immorality.
Clarifying his statement, the commissioner said: “I must have been misunderstood or misquoted. We were at a forum where we were trying to encourage religious leaders to be advocates against corruption because religious leaders have millions of adherents and they enjoy the allegiance of millions of followers and we expect them to use the pulpit and the minbar to advocate for good governance and selflessness so that they can influence their members positively.
“In Lagos State, one of the remarkable successes of the present administration is that we have cutting-edge approaches to relating with religious leaders and that is why Lagos remains the most peaceful and most religious crisis-free State in the federation in spite of our cosmopolitan nature.”
