Kaduna State Government, on Sunday, tasked religious leaders to assist monitor projects that are being executed within their areas, by ensuring that contractors give the communities value for their money.

The Director- General of Interfaith Matters, Engr. Namadi Musa gave this advice in a press statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria in Kaduna.

According to the statement, a sensitisation meeting with Muslim and Christian religious leaders in the three senatorial zones, urged them to report any project that is being shoddily executed to relevant authorities.

It stated that Governor Nasir El Rufa’i has started fulfilling his campaign promises with the ongoing school feeding programme, roads, hospitals and schools rehabilitation across the state.

It urged the people of the state to continue to exercise patience with government policies and programmes, appealing to them to work with government.

“Some government’s programmes and policies are not intended to bring hardship to the people as critics allege, but to plug leakages in the system and make Kaduna state great again.”

According to the statement, the administration decided to merge the Bureau for Islamic Matters and Bureau for Christian Matters in order to promote mutual understanding between the adherents of the two religions.

It further pointed that the essence of government is to protect life and property of the citizens and to ensure peace for meaningful development.

It promised that a bill will be presented to Kaduna State House of Assembly on how best to regulate preaching in public places, but that government will involve stakeholders in all government policies and programmes that affect them.

According to the statement, the bill is aimed at maintaining peace and unity amongst the followers of various religions in the state.

The statement also quotes the state secretaries of Jamaátu Nasril Islam (JNI) and Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Alhaji Ibrahim Isa Kufena and Reverend Sunday Ibrahim respectively, calling on the government to execute only programmes and policies that have direct bearing on the people.

They also urged government to promote the teaching of religious subjects at all levels, so as to inculcate moral values in the pupils and students. (NAN)

•Photo shows Gov El-Rufai.