The national organising secretary of the Supreme Islamic Council (SIC), Alhaji Sheik Hassan Kamara, have called on the Sierra Leone Police to reopen the Joki mosque at Kroo Town Road in the west of Freetown so that worshippers would access it to perform their daily prayers.
Alhaji Sheik Kamara, who also doubles as the Chairman for the Local Policing Partnership Board Central Police Division, reveals that the police have closed the mosque due to hegemony struggles relating to the position of Chief Imam.
Mr. Kamara noted that two factions have emerged to take over the position and have been supported by two heavy weights (Alhaji Monorma Bah and Alhaji Texaco Bah), who are outstanding in providing resources towards the construction of the mosque.
He further noted that these two heavy weights have each put forward a candidate for the Chief Imam.
The organising secretary further disclosed to nightwatch that four different groups have each provided candidates for the position of Chief Imam and that the issue has received the attention of the Vice President, Dr Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh.
The Vice President, he went on, has advised all candidates to have a close door session and appoint a single Chief Imam to lead the jammat.
One of the candidates, Mr. Kamara noted, went ahead and officiated on a juma prayer against the advice of the Vice President and this resulted to serious confrontations and government was left with no option but to close the mosque.