Photo credit: the Punch
Nigeria is said to be a secular state. That’s theoretical!
However, in practice, the Nigerian state is religious. Or how do we explain the fact that apart from having churches and mosques, government involves itself with the staffing of these bastions of religiousity.
In the past, government was sponsoring religious pilgrimages. I’m told that even now, government still sponsors these pilgrimages in spite of the existence of a banning order on government sponsorship of pilgrimage. It shows that either Nigerians are deeply religious or some officials are laughing to their banks with every pilgrimage.
This is actually a good thing. But we should declare the country a multi religious one. When we do that, if government wants to involve itself in religion, then it must involve itself in all religions.
I mean that will be a way of showing that government is democratic.
So apart from chapels and mosques, I expect the setting up of shrines for Igunuko, Egugun, Oro, Oya, Ogun and so on in our state houses.
One advantage of this timely act is the fact that government does not need to give them basic travelling allowance since these religions are indigenous to Nigeria.
Government may also be involved in their staffing!
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