INSTEAD of regulating the proliferation of mosques and churches, the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIRECON) has been advised to find the root causes of the proliferation in order to impress it on government at all levels to find solutions to them.

The inter-religious council recently came out with the decision to regulate establishment of places of worship in Nigeria with a view to checkmating their proliferation, which is growing by the day.

In his view, however, the Chief Imam of the University of Abuja, Dr Taofeek Abdulazeez, told the Tribune

Islamic News during the week that the body should first find the causes of the proliferation, which he said was a reaction to certain circumstances.

“Proliferation of mosques and churches is a reaction to something. This is what NIRECON ought to find out in the first instance instead of saying that they would regulate it. You will discover that most of those who set up these places of worship are those who don’t find jobs to do and believe they could make ends meet establishing those places. Also, most of their patrons are those with one problem or the other,” Dr Abdulazeez, who was a one-time Chief Imam of the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, said.

Meanwhile, Dr Abdulazeez has called on government at all levels in Nigeria to ensure the security of life and property in the country, adding that it should also provide job opportunities for Nigerians to stem the tide of unemployment in the country.