The Kaduna State Governor, Mr. Nasir El-Rufai, that of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, Kwara State Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Gombe State Governor, Mr. Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya and former Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, have called on Muslims to promote peaceful coexistence between them and adherents of other faiths for the socio-economic development of the country. They made the call in their separate messages to felicitate with Muslims to celebrate Eid-el-Kabir.
El-Rufai commended the “resilience of citizens in these tough times and prayed for the blessings of Allah for the immense sacrifices that they are making.”
He also appealed for the observance of COVID-19 protocols as Muslim faithful celebrate Eid-el-Kabir.
The governor appealed to all communities in the state to uphold peace and harmony, despite the security challenges in many communities, adding that security agencies were intensifying anti-banditry operations to secure communities.
The message, which was signed by the Special Adviser on Media and Communication to the State Governor, Mr. Muyiwa Adekeye, urged Muslims “to emulate the example of faith and sacrifice that Sallah symbolises.”
The governor urged the “Muslim community to keep hope alive, and to celebrate the Eid el-Kabir in compliance with public health guidelines prescribed to protect everyone from the very infectious Delta variant COVID-19 that is already circulating in some states in the country.”
On his part, Mohammed has urged Muslims to promote peaceful coexistence between them and adherents of other faiths for the socio-economic development of the state.
Mohammed in his message, which was signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Mukhtar Gidado, said as religion of peace, Islam propagates total submission to the will of Allah.
He urged the Muslims faithful to give gifts with no consideration to religious, ethnic or political coloration and advised them to use the Salah to strengthen the existing interpersonal relationships and create new ones, adding that “there is also the need for us to imbibe the spirit of forgiveness, humility and respect for one another.”
The governor equally called for more prayers for the prevailing peace in the state to be sustained and for adequate rainfall for the state to have a bumper harvest.
He reiterated his administration’s commitment to serve the good people of the state and take them to greater heights, explaining that his administration has made modest efforts in infrastructural development, education, health, youth empowerment and agriculture, which are critical to the development of the state.
The governor pledged to continue developmental projects that have direct bearings on the lives of the people and explained that state government was not unmindful of the economic hardship being experienced by the generality of the people, which he attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic disease.
Mohammed described the situation as temporary and appealed to the citizens to persevere, adding that, “as a responsive government, we will continue to render palliative measures with a view to cushioning the effects of the hardship.”
Similarly, AbdulRazaq said: “It is a message of peace. There is no alternative to peace. This is a State of Harmony, and we should let it remain so. Our founding fathers worked so hard to entrench peace in the state, and we will continue to promote the peace and unity in our dear state. It is a new frontier. Security wise, we have seen improvements across the country. We are certain that the situation will continue to get better.”
AbdulRazaq commended President Muhammadu Buhari for the fight against insecurity in different parts of the country, saying the current efforts have led to glaring improvements, and have checkmated agents of insecurity in Nigeria.
“We thank the president for deploying all in the arsenal to check insecurity. We appreciate all institutions, security agencies, traditional rulers and all the people for joining hands to make sure that we combat the alarming rate of insecurity,” he added.
AbdulRazaq urged the Kwara people to use the occasion of the celebration to look inward and preach peace and unity, as well as support one another as brothers and sisters.
Yahaya of Gombe State called on the ummah to sacrifice more for the corporate existence of the country and in the spirit of the season.
The governor said that the virtue of Eid El-Kabir, which connoted love, obedience and sacrifice, were needed for the corporate existence of the country and for individual relationships so that Nigerians could leave together as brothers and sisters.
He said: “Our understanding transcends through religious divides and through our cultural, geographical or political difference; that spirit and brotherhood we should maintain and ensure the survival and success of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Yahaya urged Nigerians to continually pray for President Muhammadu Buhari and all leaders at all levels, saying that “here in Gombe, the government, the traditional leadership and the leadership of the Ummah and our Christian brothers, the clerics and the church leaders are all collaborating to work together for the benefit of mankind and for the upliftment of the Nigerian society.”
He noted that the country was going through hard times in its social, economic and political spheres as well as health wise, particularly with the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and stressed that Nigerians need to be together and support one another as the nation meanders through the trying period.
Yahaya prayed the Almighty Allah to sustain and protect the country from the current calamities confronting it and for a successful and hitch free Sallah festivity.
In a sermon delivered by the Chief Imam of Gombe Central Mosque, Sheikh Mohammed Umar Pindiga, shortly after the two raka’at prayers, the cleric charged the congregation to translate the good virtues of Eid el-Kabir into the art of nation building through obedience to constituted authorities and sacrifice for the good of all.
Pindiga called on Muslim faithful to intensify prayers for return of peace in Nigeria and bumper harvest, especially at a time when rainy season is in full swing.
He thereafter performed the symbolic slaughtering of a ram, signifying the commencement of the festival in earnest.
Meanwhile, former Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, has called on Nigerians to imbibe the spirit of unity and tolerance for peaceful coexistence in the country.
Ndume, who is representing Borno South Senatorial District, in a Sallah message he issued yesterday, also felicitated with Muslimn Ummahs across the country on this year’s Eid-el-Kabir celebration.
He admonished the teeming Muslim population and commended them for the roles they have played in sustaining the peace, unity and development of the nation despite the numerous challenges confronting them.
Ndume, who is also the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army, also advised Nigerians to shun acts that are capable of heating up the polity.
He stated that the diverse nature of the Nigerian people is the country’s main source of strength and unity, warning that “we stand to lose a lot if we continue to dwell on what divides us rather than focus on what unites us as people.”
He urged the good people of his constituency to continue to rededicate themselves to the onerous task of nation building, explaining that the essence of the Eid-el-Kabir festival, which symbolises the voluntary obedience of Prophet Ibrahim (ASW) to the commands of Allah and the demonstration of his faith in his maker, must be emulated by all.
Ndume said: “I will continue to strive hard to bring government closer to my people and see to their welfare because, we are in this together.”
