There’s ashawo joint close to where people go to pray in Jerusalem” — Dino Melaye bl∆st govs over pilgrims sponsorship
“There’s ashawo joint close to where people go to pray in Jerusalem” — Dino Melaye blast govs over pilgrims sponsorship 
Dino Melaye, a former senator from Kogi State and prominent member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has attack£d government support of religious events, contending that public funds ought to be allocated to infrastructure, healthcare, and other aspects of national development.
Melaye questioned why the government should spend billions of naira supporting religious pilgrimages to Jerusalem and Mecca when wealthy people, churches, and mosques could help those who want to travel there.
He made the case that religious pilgrimages shouldn’t be handled by the government, emphasising that neither Islam nor Christianity require visiting sacred locations in order to enter paradise.
He believes that rather than allocating public funds to religious activities, the government ought to be more concerned with the terrible condition of the nation’s roads and hospitals.
He said, “Why will government be spending billions of naira that is supposed to be meant for development? Our roads, you know their state in this country. Our hospitals, you know their state in this country. We cannot prioritise our spending.”
Melaye also questioned the efficacy of pilgrimage because some individuals return from religious pilgrimages without altering their behaviour.
Referring to Jerusalem, he made the point that immoral behaviours might still be found in the vicinity of locations connected to religious pilgrimage.
“Even Jerusalem that you are going to, just close to Mount Sinai where you will go to, there’s an @sh@wo joint by the edge there,” he said.
Melaye claimed to be a spiritual person and not to be against people’s religious views, despite his rejection of the government’s participation in religion.
“I am a spiritual person, but my spirituality and celestial relationship with God is personal,” he said.
He argued that as religion is essentially a personal affair, state resources intended for citizens’ development should not be diverted to religious activities.
LA
