AFRICA/NIGERIA - Cardinal Okogie: "No to Islamic Banking, because it is a plan to subjugate Christians"

AFRICA/NIGERIA - Cardinal Okogie: "No to Islamic Banking, because it is a plan to subjugate Christians"
Lagos (Fides) - Cardinal Anthony Olubunmi Okogie, Archbishop of Lagos, has expressed his opposition to the proposal of the Federal Government, through the Central Bank of Nigeria, to endorse the commencement of Islamic Banking in Nigeria. In a release signed by Monsignor Gabriel Osu, Director of Social Communications of the Archdiocese of Lagos, of which a copy was sent to Fides, Cardinal Okogie said that the efforts by the Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, is to obtain the approval of the Islamic bank, is part of a plan to transform Nigeria into an Islamic state.
"We condemn such move in all its ramification", the statement said. "We are against the operation of Islamic Banking because is yet another deliberate move to subjugate Christians in Nigeria. Nigeria is a secular state. We must be very sensitive to the religious beliefs of others. Introducing Islamic banking system in Nigeria will further aggravate the culpable religious tension already being hoisted by the radical Islamic sect, Boko Haram ":
"We already have eight ailing banks in the country - concluded the statement by Cardinal Okogie -. The Central Bank of Nigeria should focus more on how to bring them back to life rather than dissipating energy on a project such as the Islamic Banking". (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 07/01/2011)