RELIGION AND GOVERNMENT POLICY FORMULATIONS: A STUDY OF THE RESPONSES OF MUSLIMS TO THE CORONER LAW SYSTEM IN LAGOS, NIGERIA

In: Politikologija religije: Politics and religion = Politologie des religions, Band 7, Heft 2, S. 399-412

Abstract

This paper appraises the relationship between religious beliefs and politics within the context of government policy formulation and law in a society (Nigeria). This is to gauge the response of religious adherents to government policies and laws that claimed to be secular but in reality touches on religious beliefs of a segments of the society. This has created a paradox that needs critical evaluation to determine if government policies and laws are devoid of religious influence. There is also the need to strike a balance between making laws and formulating policies in a secularized society where citizens have often lend a voice(within organized religions) to influence and force changes in such laws and policies. Data for analysis were gathered using random sampling method based on the religious affiliation and belief, education, gender and awareness(of the existence of CLS) of respondents in the five divisions of the state-Lagos. The analysis of the data shows that religion has the capacity to occasion changes of government laws and policies even in a pluralistic society like Nigeria as the coroner law system that was introduced by Lagos state government (one of the federating states in Nigeria) in 2007 and later withdrawn a year later due to hues and cries of Muslims in the state has shown. This form is the basis of analysis in this paper. The paper adopts a sociological and historical method for analysis.