Kano State House of Assembly has ordered the stoppage of building of corner shops and any physical structures within the premises of Abdullahi Bayero Juma’at mosque, popularly known as Masallacin Waje in Fagge Local Government Area of the state.
A renowned cleric in the state, Tijjani Kalarawi, had recently resigned from the membership of the mosque’s steering committee, saying building corner shops raound the mosque’s perimeter violates its sanctity as a place of worship.
“Corner shops are being built everywhere around the mosque. Human faeces and refuse have taken over the premises of the mosque. All our complaints went to deaf eras of the authorities. Sincerely speaking, I can not watch the house of Allah being bastardized. As a Muslim, Allah Has blessed me with beautiful house, why should I allow His house be bastardized under my watch?,” he said in an interview with DAILY NIGERIAN on Monday night.
But a statement issued by the Assembly director, Public Affairs, Uba Abdullahi on Tuesday, said the the directive to stop the development around the mosque was given at a plenary session, presided by the speaker, Hamisu Ibrahim Chidari.
The call followed a motion of matters of urgent public interest moved by a member representing Dala Constituency, Lawan Chediyar ‘Yangurasa.
The lawmaker called on the House to order for the immediate stoppage of any physical structures within the perimeter walls of the mosque.
He expressed sadness over the construction of corner shops on the premises of the mosque and the need to stop it in the interest of the public.
The lawmaker described the development as a sheer disregard to the sanctity of God’s worshipping domain.
The motion attracted a series of discussion and support from the members.
The House therefore constituted a nine-man committee to critically look into the issues from its roots and report back within two weeks as announced by the speaker.
Members of the committee include Muhammad Uba-Gurjiya; Sunusi Bataiya; Magaji Zarewa; Nuhu Achika and; Lawan Chediyar ’Yangurasa as members.
Others are Abubakar Isa-Kademi, Muhammad Tukur, Sale Ahmed Marke, while Deputy Director Legal Services would serve as Secretary.
