A Group, Christian Rights Nigeria (CRN), has condemned the rejection of 17 commissioner-nominees by the Lagos State House Assembly on what it termed religious ground, which it alleged, was at the behest of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).

It would be recalled that MURIC had protested against the 39 commissioner-nominees’ list sent by Babajide Sanwo-Olu to the Assembly on the ground that only eight Muslims made the list.

Although other groups protested the non-inclusion of their local council in the list, CRN said the 17 commissioner-nominees were dropped to accommodate MURIC’s agenda.

A statement signed by CRN National Lead, Pastor Eliashib James, said the rejection of the commissioner-nominees was capable of stoking religious tension in the state.

The statement reads in part: “We have watched in utter amazement the unfolding drama at the Lagos State House of Assembly where surreptitious moves are being made by the House leadership to stoke religious tension in Lagos State. Egged on by a right-wing extremist religious group, known as Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), of one Prof. Ishaq Akintola, the House of Assembly has manifested this by its rejection of a number of commissioner-nominees in the state.

“We state without any equivocation that this is pure religious blackmail as contrary to the propaganda of MURIC, which the House of Assembly latched on to.

“Also, all the three senators in Lagos State are Muslims. They are Lagos Central (Sanni Wasiu Eshilokunon), Lagos East (Tokunbo Abiru) and Lagos West (Oluranti Adebule).

“Despite these, we Christians never raised an eyebrow. So, why is the Assembly stoking religious tension by rejecting many commissioner-nominees on religious grounds?

“We need to caution the House of Assembly to stop this dangerous religious politics for the peace and progress of Lagos State.”