Eid-el-Fitri: Buhari, Ambode, Daniel preach peace

0

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Thursday, urged Nigerians to ensure peace in the country so that dividend of democracy can be delivered to them.
In his Eid-el-Fitri message, he said: “Fellow Compatriots, I greet and felicitate with you all, especially our citizens of the Islamic faith on this auspicious occasion of the 2015 Eid-el-Fitr celebrations.
“I congratulate all those who have successfully completed the Ramadan fast in keeping with the injunction of our Creator.m Although we have come to the end of this year’s month of Ramadan, I believe that a greater acceptance by Nigerians of its key lessons of self-denial and sacrifice will serve our dear country well as we strive to overcome our present challenges, undo the damage done by years of bad governance and accelerate the pace of national development.
“Reviewing our dire circumstances and the many missed opportunities of the past, some commentators and observers have said that this is Nigeria’s last chance to get its act together and finally begin to fulfill its God-given potential for greatness.
“While not going that far, I certainly believe that now, more than ever before, our country needs greater self-denial, sacrifice and patriotism from all of its citizens, if we are to quickly recover from our numerous problems and start moving in a positive direction.
“This current period of our life as a nation offers us a great opportunity to break from the vicious triangle of insecurity, corruption and under-development. We must collectively resolve to seize this opportunity and unite to confront our problems.
“I remain wholly committed to giving the required leadership towards undoing the wrongs of the past, ensuring that Nigeria truly begins to unlock its great potential and that the benefits of our immense national resources are shared and enjoyed by all, not just by successive cabals of corrupt leaders and their cronies.
“I was very aware of your high expectations when I assumed office and I reassure you, my fellow citizens, that since my inauguration on the 29th of May this year, I have been working with utmost dedication to meticulously plan and tackle the many national challenges which we identified and promised to resolve.
“To succeed however, I need your continued support, understanding and patience.
“I fully understand and share the thirst of my long-suffering compatriots for corruption-free government institutions that work efficiently to deliver visible development for the benefit of all citizens.
“I also share the feelings of those who think that we should be moving faster. But I urge them and all Nigerians to trust that my commitment to real and positive change in our nation is as firm as ever.
“There is indeed much work to be done, but we must do it well and carefully to ensure that the great opportunity which we now have is not lost to the “business as usual” group who selfishly or shortsightedly prefer a status quo that panders to their personal or group interests.
“The adverse effects of years of rot, corruption, inept and bad governance on our nation are immense, but certainly not insurmountable if we all resolve now to place the well-being of our nation above all other considerations and work whole-heartedly with the present administration to achieve greater peace and security across the nation, and reposition our country for faster economic development and progress.
“May Almighty Allah continue to guide us and bless our dear nation. I wish you all happy Eid-el- Fitr celebrations”.
In his message, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State
sought the cooperation of all Nigerians, urging them to rededicate themselves to the cause of a peaceful and prosperous Lagos where residents regardless of ethnic, religious or social status can prosper.
The governor said it is only by embracing peace, unity and fairness that Nigerians can put the country back on its leadership pedestal, urging them to embrace the tenets of love, tolerance, forgiveness and brotherhood which characterized the period of the holy month.
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Habib Aruna, the governor said that the nation needs brotherly love and harmonious co-existence among her citizens above all other things as a means to overcome the numerous challenges threatening her fledgling democracy, especially the challenge of insecurity.
Ambode added that in the last one year, everyday has been a season of countless blessings in spite of unwanted developments such as the physical, psychological and structural violence on our Nation.
While condemning the wave of violence being perpetuated by the mindless Boko Haram sect, he called on Nigerians to return to the values of peaceful co-existence and brotherly love.
Continuing, he said: “As we celebrate this auspicious occasion, therefore, let us renew our faith in our nation and implore the Almighty Allah to restore to us those values that place high premium on human life, love of neighbour and sharing even as we ventilate our faith in the unity of our dear country and the possibility of her taking her proper place in the comity of nations”.
The governor, who said that the spirit of Eid-el-Fitri resonates around the virtue of love and respect not just for our creator but also for fellow humans, condemned in very strong terms the violence being perpetuated against Nigerians and Nigeria emphasizing that it is only in the spirit of brotherly love and dedication to national service that Nigerians could build the desired nation.
The governor said: “In this all important crusade to rescue our dear country from socio-economic as well as political quagmire, let us all continue to demonstrate those sterling virtues of harmonious and peaceful co-existence as well as willingness to serve in this melting pot of cultures where the multi-ethnic and multi-religious nature of our State is turned into a source of strength”.
Ambode thanked Lagos residents for their continued harmonious and peaceful co-existence in the midst of diverse ethnic origin and religion.
“With your demonstration of love for your neighbour and the willingness to serve, our State will continue to be a model of what patriotic Nigerians will want our dear country to be”, he said.
He wished all Muslim brothers and sisters in the State a happy Eid-el-Fitri celebration, just as he enjoined Nigerians in other parts of the country to take a cue from Lagos and continue to be their brothers’ keepers.
Also, former governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel
urged adherents of the faith to keep up with the virtues gained during the Ramadan period which included piety, patience, tolerance, perseverance, humility, self denial and service to humanity.
In his Eid-El-Fitri message to the people of Ogun State, Daniel tasked Moslem faithful in the state to embrace the spirit of love, forgiveness and brotherhood preached by Islam and other religions.
While congratulating Muslims in the state on the successful observation of the Holy Month, he implored the people to celebrate the Id-El Fitri with moderation and in the spirit of Ramadan which encouraged peace and charity.
At the national scene, the former governor condemned the heinous activities of the Boko Haram sect that have sent thousands of people to early graves with impunity. The series of attacks by the group in the holy month of Ramadan, he stated, were not only appalling but evil. He then appealled to the people of the country to be full of prayers noting that Allah remains the only dependable defender in this turbulent period of our national life. He also challenged the international community to rise in support of Nigeria in the fight against terrorism.”
Advocating for unfettered unity, cooperation and dedication among Muslims and other religions as a way to foster development, brotherhood, love and overall national unity, Otunba Daniel also solicited prayers for those at the helm of affairs at different levels of governance in the country for divine wisdom to confront the myriads of challenges facing the nation for Nigeria to claim its rightful position in the comity of nations.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.