President Muhammadu Buhari has called for continued peace, progress and prosperity of the country in his Ramadan greetings to Nigerians in general and Muslims in particular as the month-long Ramadan fast begins.
The President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, in a statement in Abuja on Sunday, said the President’s greetings followed the sighting of the lunar month of Ramadan.
He quoted the President as describing Islam as “a religion of peace that upholds the values of tolerance and mutual coexistence without a place for hatred and violence.”
He, therefore, urged Muslims to use the period to build a relationship of friendship and harmony with fellow citizens of other faiths and prayed to Allah for the continued peace, progress, and the wellbeing of the country.
In his own goodwill message, the President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, enjoined Muslim faithful to pray for the betterment of Nigeria’s fortune as they join their counterparts across the world to observe Ramadan.
He pointed out that since fasting symbolised internal cleansing and spiritual renewal, the country could benefit immensely from prayers of the faithful during the period.
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“It is my prayer that Allah accepts the earnest prayers and sacrifices of the Muslim Ummah during this Holy Month.
“May we emerge better, both at the individual and national levels, after this spiritual exercise. Let us seek an end to recurring killings, kidnapping and all forms of insecurity in our country.
“As community leaders and members of the Islamic faith, we have a responsibility to work for peace in our communities in particular and the country in general.
“We cannot afford to gloss over the present level of insecurity and harsh economic realities in our country. Therefore, let us pray earnestly for Allah’s intervention in the socio-economic life of our people,” he said.
The Senate President charged the leaders to put in place policies and programmes that would directly benefit the people and gainfully engage the nation’s youths.
He said the increasing youth population in the country was a blessing as the young people could hasten development processes but stressed that they could also “become a time bomb if they were not deployed to good causes.”
