President Muhammad Buhari has directed that the control of Obalende Eid Prayer Ground be returned to the Lagos Jama’atul Muslimeen Council of the Lagos Central Mosque.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, disclosed this on Sunday.
In a statement he signed late on Sunday, Shehu explained that in giving approval to the report of a Special Committee he set up to investigate and report to him the issues in conflict between the Lagos Muslim Community on the one hand and Federal Government Agencies, particularly those stationed at Dodan Barracks, concerning the management and control of the land, President Buhari directed all those government agencies to “recognize and respect the fact that the Obalende Eid Prayer Ground legally belongs to the Jama’atul Muslimeen Council of the Lagos Central Mosque”.
President Buhari directed that the “desecration of the Obalende Eid Prayer Ground by its profane use as a dump site should stop with immediate effect”.
To this effect, he directed that the Dodan Barracks authorities should remove all containers and debris from the prayer ground.
The President also directed that the Dodan Barracks authorities “ensure that the Muslim Communities and their agents have unrestricted access to the Obalende Eid Prayer Ground at all times”.
He also advised the Government of Lagos State to, “if deemed fit, (to) grant the Jama’atal Muslimeen Council a Certificate of Occupancy over the area identified in the Survey Plan”.
The Committee that carried out the assignment as directed by the President under the leadership of Professor Ibrahim Gambari, his Chief of Staff, included the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raj Fashola (SAN); Minister of Defence, retired Major General Bashir Magashi; Director-General of the Department of State Services, Yusuf Bishi; Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor; and Permanent Secretary, State House, Tijani Umar.
