The Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, on Monday alleged that some staff of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, are attempting to turn the organization into a Christian crusade camp.
MURIC alleged that some senior staff of NPA usually give out Christian literature as parting gifts to official visitors to the facility.
The body said such an act is part of the evidence to Christianize Nigeria.
In a statement by its Director, Ishaq Akintola, MURIC urged the authority of NPA to probe such acts.
Akintola said it’s unethical for staff of NPA to use the facility for evangelization.
The statement reads: “The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) is now in the habit of giving Christian literature as gifts to its visitors. A group of people who visited the port recently was told that they should wait for gifts after their data capture for a port pass identity card. To their surprise, the same NPA staff who did their capturing gave them copies of Pastor Chris’s Rapsody.
This is absolutely unwholesome, unethical, and highly demeaning. Who owns these gifts and on whose behalf are they being handed out to visitors? NPA is now being used for Christian evangelization. It depicts NPA staff as an idle and unserious bunch. How can a federal facility be used to promote one religion? It is an assault on our sensibilities. It is unacceptable.
“It is unthinkable that the same people who lodge complaints of Islamisation are hell-bent on Christianising Nigeria. But whereas we cannot find concrete evidence of Islamisation, there are several proofs of Christianisation and what is happening in NPA is one of them.
“We had cause to complain about the Ikoyi immigration office some time ago. Visitors are compelled to either participate or watch helplessly as the staff conducts Christian morning devotion in the same spot that those who came for international traveling documents are sitting.
“It is taking religious practice and proselytization to ridiculous heights. It smirks of desperation. But for what? What is the desperation about? It is also a manifestation of a lack of sensitivity for the feelings of people of other faiths. Morning devotion should not be conducted during official periods and where official duties are performed. Is that what the workers are paid for? Neither should religious literature of any faith be circulated by workers.
“MURIC demands investigation of these unwholesome practices. The authorities of NPA should take immediate steps to put a stop to the distribution of Christian literature to unsuspecting members of the public. NPA is a federal facility, not a Christian crusade camp.”
