In a Sallah message signed by Rafiu Ajakaye, his chief press Secretary on Tuesday, the governor also felicitated the pilgrims who gathered at Mount Arafah in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, a major pillar of their Hajj rites. He prayed to Allah to accept their pilgrimage and supplications, urging them to commit Nigeria to the hand of God.
He said, “The Governor joins Mai Martaba the Emir of Ilorin Dr. Ibrahim Sulu Gambari, leader of the faithful and chairman of the Kwara State Council of Chiefs, to congratulate the Kwara public, especially the Muslims, on the festivities,” according to a Government House statement issued in Ilorin, the state capital.
“He calls on transporters and everyone alike to drive safely and avoid all unhealthy practices that may jeopardise public safety or public health.
“While we thank Allah for His grace and protection over all of us and our community, the season requires us to renew our faith in God and submission to Him, as may be expressed in having excellent relations with fellow humans, enjoining good and discouraging evils and mischief, and contributing positively to the growth of our community at all times.
“His Excellency urges everyone to join hands with the government at all levels to keep the communal values of being one another’s brothers and to develop the state and the country for the benefit of all.”
In his own message, former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki also congratulated Muslims around the world on this year’s Eid-El-Kabir festival and urged them to continue to pray to Allah to intervene in the affairs of the country by restoring peace, unity, prosperity, security, and development across its nooks and cranny.
In a Sallah message from his media office in Abuja, signed by Yusuph Olaniyonu and made available to PUNCH correspondent, Saraki noted the significance of the Eid-El-Kabir festival as it symbolises the test of the faith of Prophet Ibrahim who is the origin of the world’s biggest religions and urged all Muslims to borrow some of the attributes of the man known as the father of faith.
“Prophet Ibrahim demonstrated unflinching faith in almighty Allah and his creator compensated him by making him the father of the most prosperous nations today. He demonstrated patriotism by praying to Allah to bless his land and his forbears that will come from generations after him. Today, we can see the manifestation of Prophet Ibrahim’s prayers in the prosperity of the lands occupied by his offspring.
“It is for this reason that I use this occasion to call on Nigerians to also continue to pray for our country. We need to continue to request our creator to turn things around for the better in Nigeria. We need God to help us conquer our economic, political, social, and security challenges.
“I also urge our countrymen and women to demonstrate faith by ensuring that those who are privileged come to the aid of the less privileged ones and ensure that many people across the country can celebrate this Sallah in a joyous mood and with food in their households,” he stated.
Saraki added that times are hard for many Nigerians because of the general economic situation and the resultant high cost of food items. He, therefore, pleaded with traders to desist from adding to the suffering of their fellow citizens by unnecessarily raising the prices of goods in the market.
“Part of the lessons that this Eid-El-Kabir is teaching us is that we must believe that Allah’s blessing is more important in all that we do. Traders across the country must avoid creating conditions that will worsen the situation of our fellow citizens”, he stated.
He also prayed for Allah’s protection of security agents who are on the frontlines in the defence of their country and prayed that Allah should give them victory over the negative forces arrayed against the country.
