Nigeria ’ll Not Split, 2015…Jonathan Assures On Eid-el-Fitri…IBB, Sultan, Others Urge Prayers, Peace

L-R:The Minister of FCT, Senator Bala Mohammed; Vice-President Namadi Sambo; National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki; Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Ola Ibrahim; IGP, Mohammed Abubakar and former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Alfa Belgore, during the Eid-el-fitr prayer in Abuja , yesterday. Leading the prayer is the Chief Imam of National Mosque, Alhaji Musa Mohammed

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday frowned at those predicting the disintegration of Nigeria by 2015, saying such people or organisations would be disappointed.
Jonathan said this when, Vice President Namadi Sambo and other Muslim faithful, paid him Sallah homage at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to him, some of the problems the country is experiencing are temporary and largely being fuelled by some selfish elites.
“Let me use this opportunity again to also reassure you, Moslem brothers, and indeed, the whole country that myself, the vice president and our team will do our best to reposition the country.
“Christians and Moslems are brothers and sisters and we must live together. Those who are predicting that this country will separate based on our frontlines as at the time of amalgamation by 2015, they will know that those predictions may not be true.’’
He said that Nigeria would continue to remain one indivisible country, noting that Nigeria’s uniqueness was borne out of its position as “a deeply religious people of Christians and Muslims”.
“For us, we cannot imagine a Nigeria without Muslims and Christians. You can call it another name, but not Nigeria.
“So it is a blessing that this is one country that you have significant population of Muslims and Christians and this religious diversity will enhance our development because we can get across the whole world wherever we go we are accepted.
“That helps us in so many ways. We are not even exploiting our diversity because of the myopic views of the elites about our situations,’’ he said.
The president, who also joined the Muslim community in observing the fasting for 29 days, congratulated all Muslims for the successful fasting.
“My brothers and sisters assalam alaiku. Let me first and foremost use this unique opportunity to congratulate all Muslim brothers and sisters from this great country, and indeed, all over the world for going through this tempting period, in this month of Ramadan in the Holy month that the Qur’an was revealed to humanity.
“Sometimes, when you are not involved in fasting, you will think it is an easy thing to go through. My trousers are just pulling out from my waist.
“So you should know that it is not easy to forego food for a reasonable time within 24 hours of the day.
“For you to have gone through this is worth congratulations, so I congratulate you.”
Jonathan called for more prayers not just for peace in the country, but in the world, saying that “there can be no development without peace.
“Today is a unique day, and I urge our Muslim brothers and sisters that they should continue to pray for peace not just in Nigeria but all over the world.
“If you watch television these days, more than 60 per cent of the time is spent on showing crises all over the world.
“And for the world to move ahead and for Nigeria to move ahead, for us to develop first and foremost, there must be peace and security.
“Nobody will come and invest in an environment where you are not sure of your workers and investment.
“As a nation, for our children to get where we want them to be, we must create a very peaceful environment for them.
So, they can develop mentally and be focused and use their brains in a manner that will bring economic changes to us.
“In Nigeria, we are very religious people and we believe in one Almighty God and we will continue to pray, God will see us through,’’ he said.
Jonathan reiterated the commitment of his administration’s determination to reposition the country for better.
Earlier, in his remarks, Sambo thanked Jonathan for providing the required leadership in the country.
He said Nigerians had started witnessing the fruitful results of the ongoing transformation agenda of the government.
“We are here again this morning after the Eid prayer to pay homage to your Excellency and to thank you for all you have been giving to Nigeria.
“We appreciate the fatherly nature you have continued to hold us, the brotherly nature that you have been a teacher and a leader to all of us and we are learning about.
“We continue to pray that the transformation agenda which already is showing effect in this country particularly when you look at the area of power supply, the area of transportation.
“Today we have railway that is moving in this country after over 40 years.”
In Minna, Generals Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar, former military Heads of State, were among the Muslim faithful, who worshipped at the Minna main Eid prayer ground.
Abubakar urged Nigerians to imbibe the lesson of the Ramadan fasting by living peacefully with one another irrespective of difference in religion and ethnic grouping.
In a sermon, Emir of Minna, Alhaji Umar Bahago, called on people to support government programmes, especially the polio campaign by allowing their wards to be immunised.
The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, also called on Islamic and Christian clergy to preach with the absolute fear of God in the country.
The Sultan said this in his Sallah message to the Muslim faithful in Nigeria to mark the Eid-el-Fitri celebrations.
Abubakar said the clergy should fear Allah and live above their own selfish interests while preaching to their followers.
The monarch also said that it was not right for a non-Muslim to interfere in the affairs of the Muslims and Islam or to impose his views on the religion he did not profess.
Abubakar also commended the Federal Government for constituting the committee on the security challenges in the north.
He pledged that the Sokoto Sultanate Council would continue to partner with the three tiers of government with a view to further improving the living standard of the people.
Governors Sullivan Chime of Enugu State, Adams Oshiomhole of Edo, and the Speaker of Niger, Alhaji Adamu Usman, called on citizens to use the opportunity to reflect on love and compassion for mankind.
Oshiomhole also prayed God to accept the supplications made by the faithful during the Ramadan and bestow unparalleled blessings on the people.
Governor Ibikunle Amosun of  Ogun admonished Muslims  not to go back to sin after the holy month of  Ramadan.
Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State urged Muslims to use the Eid-el-Fitri celebration to pray for peace, unity and economic emancipation of the state and the nation.
Ajimobi in his Eid-el-Fitri message issued by his Special Adviser on Media, Dr Festus Adedayo, also urged Muslims to imbibe the teachings of Prophet Mohammed on the essence of Ramadan fasting.
Similarly, the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, called on the people of the state to continue to pray for the sustenance of peace and stability in the state and the country.
Bayero told Muslims faithful at his Palace after the Eid-el-Fitri prayer at the Central Mosque, Kano, that no society could achieve any meaningful development in an atmosphere of rancor and uncertainty.
Represented by Wamban Kano, Alhaji Abbas Sanusi, the emir warned the people, particularly Kano residents, to desist from indiscriminate building of structures on water ways to avoid flood disaster.
The Emir of Dutse, Alhaji Nuhu Sunusi, prayed for peace and mutual co-existence among the people in the country, and  advised Muslims to consider the fasting as a period of repentance and sober reflections.