By Chuwang Dungs, Gombe
Despite recent court ruling by Kaduna State High Court, presided over by Justice Hajaratu Gwadah declaring that the Kaduna state government has no right to screen and issue licences to religious preachers in the state. Governor Nasir El-rufai on Saturday insisted that there is no going back in implementing the law.
El-rufai who was on a courtesy visit to the Emir of Gombe, Alh. Abubakar Shehu Abubakar III, disclosed this to newsmen that the recent judgement has no negative set back to the existing law, stressing that, “we are going ahead with the law there is no set back.”
The judgement was delivered in suit filed by the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), challenging the constitutionality of the bill on the regulation of religious preaching in the state.
He said the bill has already been signed into law and it is a valid law in the state, and is only the supreme court that can invalidate the law.
“This law still a valid law, we have a duty to ensure that everyone practice his religion with freedom but without affecting the freedom of others.” He said.
“We are trying to obtain the court ruling, we shall surely appeal the court ruling.”
The governor said the essence of the preaching regulatory law is to establish a system that only those that are qualify are allowed to preach.
He said it is not the government that will determine those that are qualify but the clerics of all the religious groups.
Governor El-rufai, also revealed reasons why most governors across the country are refusing to invest in the education sector.
According to him, many state governors do ignore education because its impact is not felt immediately but in 20 or 30 years.
“The impact of investing in education may not be felt immediately but in 20 or 30 years. Education is a generational investment.”
He said the present security challenges such as insurgency and banditry are all products of bad educational policies of 30 years ago.
“ Insurgency, banditry and Boko Haram are all products of bad educational policies of 30 years ago. This is what we are trying to prevent in Kaduna State with our educational policies.
“ The basic goal of our policy and everything we have done are investments toward rebuilding public schools for the children of the poor to get the same quality education as those of the rich.
According to him, Kaduna state is ranked number one in Northern Nigeria and 12th in the country in terms of education as a result of aggressive implementation of educational reforms.
He also stressed that education remained a key factor in uniting the country, adding “ education is what enlightens people to become united and to eliminate or reduce division along religious lines.”
