* Says Dr. Sola Pitan built gate to block mosque access
An appeal has gone to the Lagos State Government to call the Medical Director of Orile Agege General Hospital to order. The appeal was made by a faith-based civil society organization, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).
The group alleged that the MD, Dr. Sola Pitan, has made several attempts aimed at stopping Muslim staff from coming into the mosque.
This was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday, 7th May, 2025 by the Executive Director of the organization, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
The statement reads:
“The headquarters of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has been inundated with complaints against the current Medical Director (MD) of Orile-Agege General Hospital, Dr. Sola Pitan. The crux of the complaints hinges on several attempts made by him towards disrupting daily use of the mosque by Muslim staff of the hospital.
“Reports say Dr. Pitan has been on the neck of the Muslim community since he assumed office as the MD. He deliberately built a gate on a spot that made it difficult for Muslims to enter the mosque. The MD allegedly ignored pleas made by the Muslim staff against erecting the controversial gate. His latest and worse move is to threaten to arrest anyone who enters the mosque to pray.
“MURIC warns that the actions of Dr. Sola Pitan contravene the principles of peaceful coexistence particularly in a cosmopolitan city like Lagos. At the same time, his demeanors constitute a serious threat to peace, not only in Lagos but in the entire state.
“Lagos is a cornucopia of faiths and a confluence of ideas. The city thrives on tolerance and mutual respect. The MD’s actions stand in sharp contradistinction to these lofty ideals. The mosque he is scapegoating is in a public facility where staff, patients, patients’ families, etc converge to meet their spiritual needs.
“It is only in this clime that we find civil servants whose salaries are paid from tax payers’ sweat exhibiting excessive power and abusing their offices. MD or no MD, Dr. Pitan should note that he is a civil servant. He should stop abusing his power.
“By stopping Muslims from using the hospital mosque, Dr. Sola Pitan has infringed upon Allah-given fundamental human rights of Muslims who use the hospital and who have inalienable rights to observe Salat (prayer). This right is enshrined in Section 38(i)&(ii) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“We therefore appeal to the Lagos State Government (LASG), particularly the Ministry of Health, to call the MD of Orile-Agege General Hospital to order.”
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