- Buhari, Saraki, Dogara seek prayers for peace, security
The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad
Sa’ad Abubakar III, yesterday declared today as the first day of the
Ramadan and urged Muslims to commence fast.
Addressing journalists in his palace in
Sokoto yesterday night, the monarch said the new moon was sighted in
many states of the country.
According to him, reliable reports of
moon sighting were received from Muslim leaders and organisations across
the country and duly verified by the National Moonsighting Committee
and the Committee in Sokoto.
“In accordance with Islamic law and our
pursuit of obligatory fast as third pillar of Islam. We wish to announce
that today Sunday the 29th day of Shaaban 1437 after Hijra which is
equivalent to June 5, 2016, has marked the end of the month and the
beginning of the new month of the Ramadan.
“Consequent upon this, Monday, June 6, 2016 becomes the first day of Ramadan 1437 after Hijra,”he said.
The monarch called on Muslims to commence the fasting accordingly and pray fervently for peace to reign in the country.
He also implored the Muslim ummah to
live in harmony with people of other faiths and offer supplications for
the leadership to succeed in steering the affairs of this country.
“Muslims should dedicate themselves to the teachings of Islam and devote themselves to the worship of Allah during the Ramadan.
“They should continue to live
peacefully with other Nigerians irrespective of tribal and religious
differences,” the Sultan added.
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari,
Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara have advised Muslims to use the holy
month of Ramadan as a great opportunity for seeking forgiveness and
getting closer to Allah through worship (Ibadah) and good deeds during
this period.
In his message to mark the beginning of
the 30 days fasting period, the president, speaking through his Special
Media Assistant, Malam Garba Sadhu, said the month of Ramadan was a time
of spiritual reawakening which demands not only abstention from food
and drinks, but also all wrongdoing in their lives.
The president explained that he was
always disturbed why people sought to make brisk profits by hiking food
prices as soon as the month of Ramadan starts.
He called on Muslim traders, businessmen
and women, civil servants and political office holders to use the month
of Ramadan to seek forgiveness of God by abandoning wrong practices for
personal gains at the expense of others.
According to the president, a religion
should serve as a moral restraint from bad practices, regretting that
those stealing national resources are merely paying lip service to
religion.
He advised that anybody holding position
of trust should primarily remember that they would be accountable one
day either on earth or hereafter.
He said the government was working
towards bringing relief to their lives through palliative measures and
faithful implementation of the 2016 national budget.
According to him, no elected government
would intentionally want you to make life difficult for the people that
gave it the mandate to serve.
On his part, Saraki urged Muslim
faithful across the country to use the period of this year’s Ramadan to
pray for peace, security and God’s intervention in tackling the myriad
socio–economic challenges confronting the nation.
In a statement to mark the commencement
of this year’s Ramadan fasting season signed by his Special Adviser on
Media and Publicity, Yusuf Olaniyonu, the senate president thanked God
for the grace to participate in another holy obligation as enjoined by
the Holy Quran.
He said: “We have entered into another
season of rededication to the worship of God and service to humanity.
This is a major commandment to mankind and a season of sacrifice and
forgiveness. I enjoin all Muslim faithful to rededicate themselves to
the true ideals of Islam as a religion of peace.
“Let us exploit the grace in this season
to seek God’s divine intervention in our lingering economic and
security challenges. As a nation, we need God’s power to overcome our
present situation. Fasting is not mere abstinence from food, drink and
worldly pleasures alone, but a time to seek Allah’s power through
prayers in order to faithfully carry out the sublime injunctions of the
Holy Prophet Muhammad (SWT) who was sent by Almighty Allah to show
humanity the way of holiness, peace and brotherly kindness.”
He said while the Muslim faithful
fervently strive for improvement in the living standards of the people,
the federal government will on its part ensure that the right policies
and laws that would make life more meaningful in the country are put in
place and dutifully enforced to bring about prosperity and harmony in
the society.
The Senate President also stated that
the present administration would continue to work to ensure that
insurgents, terrorists, militia groups and other criminal elements that
have plunged some parts of the country into a state of anarchy are
flushed out.
Saraki further urged all Nigerians “not
to succumb to despair but to remain steadfast in the firm conviction
that with courage, determination, focus and collective will, the
country will ultimately overcome its present travails and emerge
prosperous and peaceful once more.”
Similarly, Dogara appealed to Muslims to
use the holy month of Ramadan to offer special prayers for Nigeria and
leaders at all levels.
He noted that Ramadan is a special
period of time when Muslims around the world focus on prayers, fasting,
giving to charity and religious devotion.
In a statement issued by his spokesman,
Turaki Hassan, in Abuja, the Speaker said the country is in dire need of
special prayers in view of the present state of the economy and the
security situation in the nation.
“No challenge is impossible to overcome with prayer, God’s guidance and direction,” Dogara noted.
According to the Speaker, many
societies and nations have passed through even more difficulties than
ours, but they surmounted them. “Ours is no exception, and we too shall
overcome,” he admonished.
Dogara also charged the people not to despair but to persevere and remain optimistic and hopeful of a better tomorrow.
He reiterated the resolve and commitment
of the House of Representatives, in the spirit of Ramadan, to always
take legislative positions and interventions on the side of the needy
and less privileged persons in our society.
The Minister of Solid Minerals
Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, also congratulated Muslims in Ekiti
State and Nigeria in general as they commence another season of Ramadan.
Fayemi said in a statement by his
Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Olayinka Oyebode, that Ramadan remains
the holiest of all months in the Islamic calendar, adding that Ramadan
fast is one of the five pillars of Islam which Muslims strictly adhere
to in line with injunction of the Almighty Allah.
Noting that the Ramadan fast teaches
Muslims to practice piety, self-discipline, self-control, sacrifice,
tolerance justice and empathy for the less fortunate in society, Fayemi
called on all adherents of the Islamic faith to reflect on these
lessons during the 30 days fasting period.
He stated that Allah established Ramadan to bring about equality among the faithful irrespective of social status.
“Ramadan makes everybody to be equal
before Allah as the rich are given the taste of hunger which the poor go
through too,” he added.
Also, former member of the House of
Representatives, Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele, urged Muslims to use the 30 days
of holy sacrifice to offer prayers against insecurity, shrinking
economy and for swift rejuvenation of the country’s economy.
Bamidele in a statement by his media
aide, Ahmed Salami, said the present insecurity occasioned by militancy
in the Niger Delta and the virulent agitations by Biafran warlords in
the South-east called for prayers.
He said the Ramadan fasting affords
Muslims the opportunity to intercede on Nigeria’s behalf for speedy
recovery from these malaise.
“We are felicitating with Muslims and
also enjoining their Christian brothers to join them in spirit during
Ramadan. We serve only one God and with this belief, we should see
ourselves as one, regardless of status, ethnicity and religion. This
remains the best way to serve our country,” he added.
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