From John Adams, Minna
Former military head of state, General Abdulsalami Abubakar and the Senator representing Niger East district, Alhaji Mohammed Sani Musa, have urged Muslim faithful to emulate Prophet Ibrahim’s virtues of sacrifice, obedience and submissiveness to the will of Allah in order to be successful in life.
General Abdulsalami said obedience to the rule of law and peaceful coexistence remains the only antidote to development, saying Nigerians must learn to live together in harmony regardless of their religion and ethnic differences.
He maintained that every country has its own story to tell in its journey to development and prosperity and therefore the current situation is not an excuse for Nigerians to begin to take the laws into their own hands.
“The current economic situation calls for patience and sacrifices as we collectively work towards a better and prosperous country. The Sallah celebration is a commemoration of total submissiveness and obedience to the will of Allah, as exemplified by Prophet Ibrahim.”
He, however, urged the government to address the economic challenges as Nigerians are going through difficult times.
“We must remember that Sallah is also a lesson on the virtue of keeping our promises to Allah and to the citizens. The government must do everything possible to address the hardship in the country,” he said.
Also, Senator Sani Musa, implored ‘Muslim Ummah’ to reflect on the significance of the celebration, which according to him, borders on love and sacrifices for one another, stressing that “as political leaders, it behooves on us to remember the poor and the less privileged ones amongst us in a time like this.”
He said the socio-economic predicament that the country found itself in requires such assistance from well-to-do individuals in the society, adding that sacrifice is the hallmark of the Sallah celebration.
They were joined in the two Ra’at prayers by the representatives of the state government which included the Secretary to Niger State Government (SSG), Alhaji Abubakar Usman, Commissioners, Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mallam Mohammed Gbatamagi, Special Adviser to the Governor on Political, Alhaji Umar Kolo, Director Generals and other political appointees.