By Amidu Arije
An Islamic Human Rights organisation, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has offered to build a mosque in the palace of the spin of Ogbomoso, Oba Ghandi Olaoye if the monarch provides a land space within the palace.
Recall that the Soun of Ogbomoso recently appointed a palace Imam, Habib Ayilara who will act as the chief Imam of the palace, but the Imam has since been without a mosque to lead the Muslims in their five daily prayers and the Friday Jumah, because no mosque is built in the palace.
In an attempt to ensure that the palace Imam performs his duties and leads Muslims in prayer as required of a Muslim, the MURIC has asked the Oba to provide a space for it within the palace with a promise to build the mosque for the king.
MURIC’s executive director, Prof Ishaq Akintola in a statement said the organisation will within 30 days of granting approval mobilised contractors to site to commence the building of the palace mosque for the Soun.
Akintola said: “The Soun of Ogbomoso recently appointed Habib Ayilara as his palace Imam. Although we welcomed this action we still wondered how the palace Imam would function without a mosque in the palace. We therefore advised the Soun to build a mosque inside the palace.
“Our advice is a very sincere one, no satire intended, because such a mosque will benefit Muslims working inside the palace and those residing there.
“However, reports reaching us indicate that there has been no sign of any preparation to build a mosque within the palace up till this moment. The palace Imam needs a structure where he will be leading both the five daily prayers and the weekly Jumu’ah prayer for Muslims who live and work inside the palace.
“We hereby volunteer to build a mosque for the Soun inside the palace. The revered monarch only needs to show us the portion of land within the palace upon which he intends to site the mosque. MURIC assures the king that workers and equipment will be mobilised to the site within 30 days of identifying and approving the location. It is sheer humanitarian gesture. We mean this, Your Majesty. Still, no satire on our mind.”
