«§» 24 November 2012Ahead of 2015 general election, former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Friday wooed northerners especially Muslims as he laid the foundation of N350,000000 (three hundred and fifty million naira) ultra modern central mosque and arabic school within the premises of his Presidential Library in Oke-Mosan Abeokuta.
Saturday Vanguard reliably gathered that, Obasanjo decided to construct a mosque within the premises of the controversial Presidential Library so as to make the place look international and as well erase the impression that, he hates notherners and their religion which is Islam.
An insider at the Obasanjo hiltop building hinted that, the four governors in the north held a closed door meeting with Obasanjo before the event where the 2015 election top the agenda and how President Goodluck Jonathan would be either convinced or stopped from re-contesting to pave way for Northerner as the next President.
Eminent peronalties who were at the foundation laying and fund raising of Olusegun Obasanjo Baytus Salam central Mosque were four governors from the North. They are Kebbi,Usman Dakingari, Kano State, Rabi Kwakwanso, Sokoto, Aliyu Wamakko, Katsina state governor, Sheu-Shemma Shetima who was represented by his deputy.All of them donated N20 million each for the construction of the mosque.
Among those that contributed to the Obasanjo’s mosque and arabic school were the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal who pledged N2 million, Chairman of Damngote group of companies ,Alhaji Aliko Dangote who also promised N25 million, former governor of Kebbi State,Senator Adamu Aleru who also pledged N10 million.
Ex-governor of Kwara State, Senator Bukola Saraki also pledged N2 million while former vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar also sent a sum of five million naira pledge towards the construction of the mosque.
Also the governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Mallam Lamido Sanusi who was in his traditional attire donated N5 million.
Other States that contributed to the construction of the mosque were Adamawa, Niger, Kaduna, Katsina Zamfara Kogi, Kwara and Ogun States which all sent their pleges of N20 million each through the Sokoto state governor.
Addressing the people at the gathering, Obasanjo who counseled religious people to be tolerant and accommodating said “ I believe that the more you know your God, the better you will be able to serve him .
I believe that, if you are at the fear of a particular religion, you must be educated in the destiny of that religion .And in any case if you are a good religious man, you will bea good citizen.
