Kaduna govt will determine pastors, Imams qualified to preach in the State – El-Rufai

Kaduna Governor Nasir El-rufai Friday said the state will work with Interfaith Preaching Regulatory Council to determine those qualified to preach in the state, lamenting that religion has been weaponised to divide and cause hate among Nigerians.

“I want to assure members of this Council that the Kaduna State Government will do everything it can to support you to do your job and help our state, to determine those that are qualified by education and training to preach without causing any problems for our people and our communities,” Mr El-rufai said.

Speaking at inauguration of the Kaduna State Interfaith Preaching Regulatory Council, Mr El-rufai said “Most of the residents of Kaduna State are very religious, like other Nigerians. But Kaduna State is unfortunately one of the states in the country with a sad history of religious clashes.”

He further said though religion should foster unity among Nigerians, it has been weaponised to divide and cause problems in Kaduna State.

“The personal exercise of faith and the better conduct and character that spirituality promotes helps society to progress,” Mr El-rufai said. “But religion has unfortunately been weaponized so much that something that should bring God’s creatures closer together in a common awareness of mortal frailties has become a device to question the right of some of God’s creatures to even exist at all, let alone practice their faith or live wherever they wish.”