It Nigerian political leaders have been speaking over the celebration of the 2022 eid-il-Adha, the Islamic celebration of culmination of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca and commemorating the sacrifice of Abraham.
Muslims across the world will troop out today to their respective prayer grounds to offer prayers for the world.
As usual, leaders of the country have used the occasion to make statements on the state of the nation encouraging all to do their parts.
On his part, Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari,
called on Nigerians to put the interest of the country above selfish interests and “use religion as a motivation for the love of our common humanity.”
In his Eid-el Kabir message to Nigerian Muslims and other citizens, President Buhari said that “if we are putting the teachings of our religions into practice, most of the evils afflicting our society would have been solved.”
According to the President, “religion shouldn’t just be used as a mere badge of identity, but as a motivator for doing good for our country and humanity.”
He explained that “the exploitation of the people by traders and the stealing of public funds by civil servants and other holders of public trust is a reflection of the abandonment of the teachings of our religions.”
“Our society is a bundle of contradictions. People display external religiosity without fear of God; they make life difficult for others; money becomes their god; leaders abandon their oaths of office by taking money meant for the welfare of the people and divert it to their private pockets,” he said.
President Buhari congratulated the Muslim Ummah in Nigeria and the world on the occasion of the Eid, citing for special mention, “the brave men and women in uniform fighting terror on many fronts and their families, as well as others held hostage and kept away from their families by wicked and heartless terrorists.”
He used the occasion to call on all Muslims to reflect on the significance of the sacrifice epitomised by Eid.
According to the President, “We should show love and care to our neighbours and others while celebrating this spiritually important event in our lives.”
President Buhari also advised Muslims “to promote the good virtues of Islam through personal examples and practice,” adding that “Muslims should avoid association with violent extremist ideas that have wrongly given Islam a negative image or poor perception.”
On the current security challenges and costs of living in the country, President Buhari assured Nigerians that “I won’t rest until I bring relief to Nigerians,” adding that “I am quite aware of the difficulties people are facing and working to resolve them.”
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in his message,
Sanwo-Olu, in an Eid-el-Kabir message issued on Friday by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Gboyega Akosile, called on Lagosians to draw lessons from the Prophet’s examples by eschewing tendencies that could disturb the peace, unity and stability in the country.
“On behalf of my family and the Government of Lagos State, I wish all our Muslim brothers and sisters in Lagos State and in Nigeria a happy and peaceful Eid-el-Kabir celebration. Eid-al-Adha is a symbolic event in the history of mankind, given the bountiful rewards that followed the patience and perseverance of Prophet Ibrahim, who held on tenaciously to his faith in God despite being afflicted.
“This symbolic Islamic festival is a reminder to us that there will always be great rewards when we have abiding faith and patience in trying periods; persistence in prayers and tenacity in our beliefs. It also reminds us of the sacrifice we are expected to make not only for the purpose of spiritual fulfillment but also for the progress of mankind and development of our society,” he said.
Governor Sanwo-Olu, who is seeking re-election in next year’s governorship election, also urged Lagos residents to continue to support his administration’s efforts in building a ‘Greater Lagos’ that works for all, adding that he is committed to delivering his campaign promises in line with the six-pillar THEMES developmental agenda.
Osun State Governor, Gboyega Oyetola, in his message, said asked all Nigerians irrespective of their religious, political and tribal differences, to take advantage of this Sallah period to intensify prayers for their leaders and for the nation to overcome its present challenges particularly the lingering insecurity issues.