Latest News | News Break Nigeria The All Progressives Congress (APC) has congratulated the Muslim faithful on the occasion of this year’s Eid-el-Fitr celebration, stating that their just concluded month-long fast and prayers were not in vain since God averted “what could have plunged our nation into deep turmoil.” In a statement in Kaduna Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party hailed Muslim brothers and sisters for their self-deprivation and spiritual supplication to God and urged them to imbibe the lessons of Ramadan in their daily lives, far beyond the fasting period. It said: “That we are able to celebrate this year’s Eid-el-Fitr at all is a sign that the Almighty has accepted our supplication and shown mercy on us and our nation. “How could we have been celebrating if former Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), or the renowned cleric, Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi, had been felled by the agents of darkness who targeted their convoys in Kaduna last week? Indeed, God loves Nigeria and the least we can do is to love ourselves too.” Similarly, President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, has congratulated the Sultan of Sokoto, Dr Sa’ad Abubakar 111 and all Muslim faithful on the completion of the Ramadan fast, culminating in the Eid-el-Fitr celebrations. Oritsejafor enjoined religious leaders in the country to use the instrumentality of religion to promote peaceful co-existence and development for the nation. In a statement in Abuja yesterday, he urged Muslims not to forget the significance of Eid-el-Fitr and to imbibe the virtues of love, peace and good neighbourliness as emphasised by the Prophet Muhammad. According to the CAN president, “at times like this, all Nigerians irrespective of affiliations, must strive to promote good neighbourliness and the ability to rise above ethnic, religious and political sentiments to work for the collective good of the nation.” He called on all religious leaders to preach peace and unity among the faithful as both Islam and Christianity preach peace. According to Oritsejafor, “as opinion leaders, let us use our positions to influence positive disposition towards ending chaos in our country. “The holy Prophet Mohammed lived and preached peace at all times, therefore, the acts perpetrated by some disgruntled Nigerians in the name of Islam is most condemnable and should be discouraged. No nation can achieve greatness in an atmosphere of crisis and unrest. “CAN joins millions of our Muslim brothers to pray for the peace and unity of the nation and to commit our troops in the battle field in the hands of God so as to win the ongoing counter-terrorism campaign. It is my earnest belief that our nation will continue to grow from strength to strength. “I would like to reiterate that our collective will as a people will always prevail if we are united in prayers, in our contributions to national development and in our resolve to promote peace in our communities. Once again, I urge our people to imbibe the teachings of the holy books and to demonstrate true love in all their endeavours.” The APC urged all Nigerians, in the spirit of the season, to embrace good neighbourliness and shun hatred and careless statements that could incite chaos. However, it urged those beating the drums of war or trivializing the attacks on Buhari as being planned as an image-laundering feat by his party to have a rethink and show deep introspection. “It is unconscionable that any right-thinking person will seek to make a political gain from an event that must have been deeply traumatizing for those who escaped by the whiskers, not to talk of the deep and life-long pain it inflicted on those who were injured or the irreparable loss it inflicted on the families of those who died,” it noted. “Such careless, asinine and irresponsible statements are more dangerous than the attacks themselves, because they are capable of inciting people, causing hatred and fanning the embers of violence. “It is a shame that the leaders of those who have engaged in this dangerous game have not called them to order; that’s why our party insists on an international probe to unravel the perpetrator and motive of the attacks.”
Posted on: Wed, 30 Jul 2014 05:57:25 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015