Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has hinted of plans to reconstitute the State Muslim Pilgrims Board.

Amaechi gave the hint while playing host to a delegation of Muslim faithfuls in Rivers State during a Sallah visit to Government House,at the weekend in Port Harcourt.

While commending them in the way and manner they resolved their internal leadership crisis, the governor said it was high time the pilgrims board was expanded,” saying  now that you have resolved the crisis, you people need to meet and send me some few names for appointment into the Muslim Pilgrims Board ‘’.

He, however, lauded the chairman of the board for his perfomance so far, assuring that the state Government was ready to partner with them in any area of development.

The governor also sued for unity and peaceful co-exisence amongst Muslims and Christians,” adding that the way to celebrate this ceremony will be to say to you that it is important that all of us, whether Christians or Muslims remain peaceful because killing is a crime in Christian religion and I also think it is also a crime in the Muslim religion, so we should not join all those who are involved in terrorism, in whatever form because they are destroying our religion and the economy of the country.

“We sympathize with those who have suffered different losses from this crime, and say to you that the Rivers State Government is very willing to partner with you people in whatever form.”

Responding to the call by the body to include Muslims in the scheme of things, Governor Amaechi remarked that his administration is open to all sections, but stressed that competitiveness and competence remain the hallmark of his government.

 “I was delighted to know that the Chairman of Degema Local Government Area is a Muslim. We don’t appoint or elect people based on religion, that is why he won because he won in a predominantly Christian settlement.  That would show you that we don’t choose based on whether you are a Christian or a Muslim”, the governor said.

“We will be delighted to see more qualified Muslims in Rivers State competing with Christians and other people of different religions in public office so that they can come and serve government”.

In his address, the Rivers State Islamic leader and Vice President General of Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Nasir Awhelebe Uhor said the Muslim festival of Eid-el Adha “celebrated not only Prophet Ibrahim’s unquestioning surrender to the will of Allah but also that of his son, Ismael, whom Allah ordered should be sacrificed to Him but whom he ransomed with a ram”.

According to him, “Islam is a religion of peace, good health and unity of mankind. It does not in any way encourage violence, let alone murder. As a matter of fact, Islam stridently denounces anyone that kills, encourages or orders others to kill as a disbeliever”.