Apostle Essien Ayi who is a Senior Pastor with the Peniel Church of God in Calabar, Cross River state, has donated the sum of N1 million to the Muslim Community to facilitate the completion of a central mosque and Islamic Centre in the state.
Ayi, who represents Akpabuyo/Bakassi/Calabar-South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, said Nigerians should be their brothers’ keepers, irrespective of religion.
The clergyman and lawmaker, who made the cash donation at Gbogobiri, a Hausa settlement in Calabar, said the gesture was also to appreciate the support he has enjoyed from the Muslim community.
He said, “Every human being whether Christian or Muslim believes in God, the creator. The religion may be different. The mode of practicing may be different, but it is tilted towards one being, which is God.
“Also the Muslim society has been very supportive of me right from when I was chairman and they informed me that their former mosque had been demolished and they are trying to erect a new and befitting mosque. I feel as a representative, they too are my constituents. I am bound to make a token donation towards the completion of that mosque. We should be our brothers’ keepers. We are all Nigerians irrespective of our religion.”
Head of the Hausa Community, Sarki Lawan, who spoke through the Secretary of the Mosque Committee, Mr Hashimu Abubakar, thanked the lawmaker and called for harmonious inter-religious relations.
“We call for a harmonious living environment because if you don’t have a peaceful atmosphere, you cannot even practice your religion,” he said.
