Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has urged Nigerians, especially Muslims, to promote peace and unity as they celebrate this year’s Eid el-Fitr.
In a statement on Wednesday in Abuja, Abubakar said that peace could only be attained through love and tolerance and not through hatred or blood-letting.
He said that the significance of Eid el-Fitr was not limited to completion of obligations in the month of Ramadan.
According to him, the significance extends to constantly reminding oneself to remain steadfast in the pursuit of peace.
2023: Atiku Abubakar, Uche Secondus to join APC soon – Olusegun Bamgbose
“This year’s Eid-el-Fitr is coming at a time when Nigeria is going through a challenging moment concerning security of lives and property.
“It is coming at a time when a large number of our people is hard-hit by poverty.
“As Muslims, we need to remind ourselves of our obligation to ensure peace and unity within our families and neighborhoods at all times.
“Today, across Nigeria, there is a scary and growing tendency to mistrust along ethnic and religious lines,” he said.
According to Abubakar, no tribe or race is superior to another except the one that seeks peace with God.
“As Muslims, we must have some reflections as we celebrate,” he said.
The former vice president wished all Muslims happy Eid-al-Fitr celebration and prayed that God would accept their sacrifices.
“It is by the injunction of the Almighty Allah that we undertook fasting in the Holy Month of Ramadan.
“Having fulfilled the command, I congratulate fellow Muslim brothers and sisters in Nigeria and across the globe for a successful completion of the Ramadan fasting,” he said. (NAN)
Also in the News
Kwara sets up committee to resolve hijab controversy
The Kwara State Government, on Thursday, set up a committee to resolve the ongoing agitation for Muslim female students attending public schools owned by other faiths to be allowed to wear hijab on top of their uniforms.
Muslim stakeholders had addressed a press conference on Wednesday where they called on the state government to prevail of the former owner of the schools to allow female Muslim students wear hijab, claiming that since the state government had taken over the schools, the former missionary owners cannot claim to have control on the schools that were being run with grants from the state government.
According to reports, this led the government to call for a meeting between religious leaders in the state, with a view to resolving the controversy.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the State Deputy Governor, Modupe Joel, said the marathon meeting presided over by the Deputy Governor, Kayode Alabi, appealed to all the leaders to respect their differences, live in peace and love, and join hands to raise a generation of children who will see one another as compatriots.
According to Joel, the meeting also decided to set up a committee that will tackle the hijab question.
The statement read in part: “Members of the committee include the deputy governor (chairman), two thought leaders/statesmen from the two sides; three religious leaders from the two sides; Senator Suleiman Ajadi; Prince Sunday Fagbemi and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice.
“The meeting stressed the need for every side to keep the peace and constantly caution members of their communities to avoid any action or comments that may disturb public peace.”
