Sallah: Wike, Saraki, Dogara Call For Prayers

The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has felicitated with the Muslim community on the celebration of the Eid-el-Fitr.
He congratulated all Muslims for successfully completing this year’s Ramadan fast.
In a Sallah message, yesterday, Wike urged the Muslim community to pray for the unity and peace of the nation as they celebrate.
The governor called on the Muslim faithful to use the Eid-el-Fitr celebrations to re-dedicate themselves to the ideals of peace, security and friendship.
He assured that the state government and security agencies have put in place security measures to ensure a peaceful celebration of the Sallah.
Wike urged Nigerians to promote religious tolerance, adding that such virtue would ensure peace across the country and enhance national development.
He assured the Muslim community and all residents of the state of the government’s determination to improve the lives of her citizens.
Wike also commended the Muslim community in Rivers for their consistent support for his administration.
In Abuja, Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, congratulated Muslim faithful across the country on the successful completion of the month-long Ramadan fast and called for sustained prayers for peace in the country.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, to commemorate the Eid-el-Fitri celebrations, the President of the Senate said in spite of Federal Government’s appreciable efforts in combating the challenge of insecurity, it is imperative for Muslim faithful to utilise this period to pray fervently for peace and unity in the country.
“We have just ended a month-long fast thus paving way for the Eid-el-fitr celebrations. These two periods are such times that the Almighty Allah enjoined us to ask for his blessings. We should therefore seize the opportunity to pray for the country and its leaders,” Saraki said.
Saraki called on Nigerians to use the season to promote national integration, saying “Eid-el-fitr is a time of love and goodwill. It gives us a message to love all and hate none.”
He said despite numerous challenges in the country, ‘’hope is not lost”, adding that, “only tolerance, stronger sense of patriotism and love for one another will help the country surmount her present socio-economic challenges.”
Speaker of House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara, has felicitated with the Muslim Ummah on the occasion of Eid El Fitr.
In a message to the Muslim community in Nigeria, the speaker appealed to the faithful to sustain the lessons of Ramadan and replicate same in their daily lives for a better society.
He advised them not to be carried away by only the pageantry of the Sallah, but to use it for sober reflection.
Dogara said that the faithful should extend gestures and hands of support to the needy in the society as well as pray against the current security and economic situation of the country.
He emphasised the importance of peace, unity and tolerance among the diverse people of the country.
The speaker said that it was fundamental for the envisaged growth and development to take place, noting that the heterogeneity of Nigeria should be a source of strength rather than conflict.
“As you join the rest of the Ummah all over the world to celebrate this year’s Eid el-Fitr, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, I enjoin you to replicate and demonstrate it in your daily lives.
“The lessons and virtues of sacrifice, forgiveness, piety, self-denial and genuine love towards one another which you learnt during the month-long fast should be sustained,” he said.
Against the backdrop of the current security and economic situation in the country, Dogara urged the faithful to take advantage of the spirituality of the period to offer special prayers.
He urged Muslims to lift all Nigerians up before God, especially the downtrodden and the leadership of this country, for wisdom and understanding.
The speaker pledged the commitment of the lower chamber to initiating legislative interventions to overcome the many challenges in the country.
He urged Nigerians, irrespective of persuasions to cement the bond of unity and brotherhood as a people of common destiny, adding that as compatriots, they should contribute meaningfully toward building a peaceful and united country.
Similarly, a member of the Senate, Solomon Adeola (APC-Lagos), has congratulated Muslim faithful across the country as they marked the end of Ramadan.
In a statement by his Media Adviser, Mr Kayode Odunaro, in Abuja, he prayed Almighty Allah to grant the supplication of all Muslim faithful as they celebrated the Eid el Fitri.
Adeola, who is Chairman, Senate Committee on Local Content, expressed optimism that the lessons of Ramadan and the injunctions on self-denial, love, peaceful co-existence, fairness and justice would continue in their daily lives.
He called for continued prayer against incessant killings in the country, and prayed God to give the leaders wisdom to find lasting solutions to challenges confronting the nation.
Adeola urged all Muslims to continue to adhere to the tenets of the religion, and ensure that there was tolerance and peaceful co-existence, particularly as the country prepared for 2019 general elections.
Meanwhile, the Muslim community was thrown into confusion as the Chief Imam of Ibadanland, Sheikh AbdulGaniyu Agbotomokekere celebrated the Eid-el-fitr which marks the end of Ramadan fast, yesterday, as against the Federal Government declaration of today as public holiday for the celebration.
The Chief Imam led other prominent people to the Eid praying ground at Agodi, Ibadan for the annual celebration to the surprise of many people.
The development has, however, raised comments, as some Muslim faithful that spoke with Vanguard correspondent in Ibadan, observed that the decision of the Chief Imam of Ibadanland to observe the Eid-el-fitr, yesterday, was not in line with the rules of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs.
According to them, there was no official announcement by the Sultan of Sokoto and head of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs that a new moon has been cited, adding that the new moon marks the end of the 29-day long Ramadan and the start of the Islamic month of Shawwal.
However, Muslim faithful have been asked to look out for new moon on Thursday night to mark the end of the Ramadan fast.