CHAOS AT MASINDI MOSQUE AS SUSPENDED IMAM REFUSES TO HANDOVER OFFICE

By Innocent Atuganyira

www.mknewslink.com

In Masindi—

Chaos yesterday afternoon erupted at the official handover of Imam of Taqwa mosque located along Commercial Street in the heart of Masindi town. This forced the security team to intervene into the matter to calm the situation.

Sheik Yahaya Mugisa the District Khadi Masindi Muslim District explains that last week Imam Swalleh Nkonjo was summoned to appear in the district committee but declined to attend it.

Yahaya told the members that they resolved to suspend the Imam Nkonjo from carrying out his duties at the mosque since he didn’t respond to the letter summoning him to appear in the meeting.

According to Sheik Yahaya, Nkonjo has plans of selling off the building where the mosque is sitting.

“The building belongs to Uganda Muslim Council, and is managed by the Masindi district Muslim Khadi Office, we shall not allow him with the team to grab the Muslim property,” he vowed.

However in his defence, Imam Swalleh Nkonjo said that he has no intentions of selling off the building rather the district Khadi is the one after it for sale.

“They are fighting hard to throw me out of the office so that they can get another Imam whom they can easily deal with to achieve their motives,” Nkonjo.

“I’m ready to resign as long as my followers decide so, but if not I won’t resign because Islamic law doesn’t allow Imam to resign when the followers want him, and with no clear intentions,”Nkonjo said.

Robert Alani the Officer In charge of Operations at Masindi Central Police Station asked for cooperation, and appealed to them to seek for lawful way for changing leadership rather than causing chaos in the area.

The police officer also noted that many worship places have been closed due to such situations, and if they don’t solve their issues on a round table, security will end up closing the mosque

The handover is expected to take place today after Juma at the same mosque, and both parties have called for cooperation, and peaceful handover.

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