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Eid-el-Kabir: Wike, Dogara, Others Rejoice With Muslims …As FG Declares Today, Monday Public Holidays
The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has felicitated with the Muslim community on the celebration of the Eid-el-Kabir.
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-Kabir 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 government’s determination to improve the lives of her citizens.
Wike also commended the Muslim community in Rivers State for their consistent support for his administration.
Similarly, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara, has admonished Muslim faithful to use the Eid-el-Kabir festival to promote unity and tolerance, which are crucial for peaceful coexistence.
The speaker, in a statement, yesterday, in Abuja by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Mr Turaki Hassan, said that Nigeria could only fulfill its great potential if the citizens continued to promote unity, peace, security and stability.
According to the speaker, there is a need to show greater respect and love for one another.
“This is a moment for sober reflections.
“I enjoin you to use the period to uphold the spiritual benefit of the celebration by extending a hand of friendship and solidarity across all divides.”
“Also imbibe the spirit of sacrifice and obedience to the higher authority as exemplified by prophet Ibrahim and upheld by Prophet Mohammed,” he added.
While wishing the Muslim faithful a blessed and peaceful Eid-el-Kabir celebration, Dogara reiterated his call for sustained prayers for the leadership of the country at all levels.
“This is an opportunity for us to reflect and pray for our nation, and to pray for our dear president for God’s guidance and good health.
“And pray for all those in leadership positions so that God in his infinite mercy will continue to guide them as they steer the affairs of the country,” the speaker said.
Also speaking, the Rivers State Deputy Governor, Dr. Ipalibo Harry Banigo has felicitated with members of the Islamic faith on the occasion of the 2017 Eid-el-Kabir celebrations.
In a statement in Government House, Port Harcourt, Banigo advised Muslims to emulate the virtues of obedience exhibited by Prophet Ibrahim, who in total obedience to Allah’s command was ready to sacrifice Ishmael, his son.
The deputy governor, who said she was pleased with the fact that Muslims have continued to live peacefully with Christians in the state, urged them to continue to support the Governor Nyesom Wike-led administration’s quest to improve the lot of all Rivers residents, irrespective of clime or creed.
“This administration under the watch of Governor Wike is committed to ensure that everybody in Rivers State has a sense of belonging this is why he has appointed a sole administrator for the Muslims Pilgrims Board, and has also released all the required funds for Rivers pilgrims to travel to Saudi Arabia for this year’s Hajj”,. Banigo said.
She advised them to be good ambassadors of the state in the Holy Land, and wished them journey mercies.
Similarly, the Rivers State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bro. Felix Obuah has congratulated all Muslim faithful in the state as they join others across the world to celebrate the Eid-el-Kabir, today.
The state PDP chairman enjoined them to use the occasion to pray for the peace and progress of the state, and more significantly, continue to support the Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike’s administration.
Obuah, in a statement, said a strict adherence to the teaching of Islam to love one another, brotherliness, tolerance and peaceful coexistence will help create a peaceful environment necessary for Governor Nyesom Wike to achieve the progressive agenda of the state.
He said Muslims and the entire people in the state have every reason to be thankful to God for this year’s Eid-el-Kabir because of God’s abundant goodness and mercies to the state.
Obuah said a retrospect into the past months shows that God has been tremendously kind to Rivers people through the instrumentality of Governor Nyesom Wike.
The PDP chairman urged Muslims to shun social vices as contained in the Koran as such are not only detrimental to the individual’s wellbeing, but harmful to the fabric of the society in various ways.
Obuah expressed confidence that the present downturn in the economy was a passing phase that will soon be over, as according to him, the Wike administration has potent economic policies that would transform the state.
While stressing that Muslims in the state have a role to play in the implementation of government policies and programmes, the PDP boss assured that the Wike administration was very passionate in delivering the dividends of democracy to all residents in the state.
It would be recalled that the Federal Government had last Monday, declared today and Monday, September 4, 2017, as public holidays to enable Muslims in the country celebrate the Islamic festival of Eid-el-Kabir.
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on Nigerians to reject silence in the face of extrajudicial killings and other abuses of human rights.
Soyinka stressed that accountability and civic courage remain essential to rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s institutions.
He made the call during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, last Friday as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday.
The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” drew participants from different sectors of society.
The renowned playwright and human rights advocate said the country’s greatest tragedy was not only the unlawful killings carried out by state and non-state actors, but also the silence that often follows such incidents, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.
According to him, indifference by citizens to abuses of power and violations of fundamental human rights has contributed to the persistence of extrajudicial killings and other forms of injustice across the country.
Soyinka said he dedicated this year’s lecture to victims of unlawful killings, noting that the event was intended to honour individuals who had lost their lives as a result of failures within the justice system and society’s inability to protect the sanctity of human life.
He stressed that the lecture was dedicated to what he described as the basic unit of every society – the human being, and urged Nigerians to place greater value on human dignity irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social status.
The Nobel Laureate recalled several incidents of violence, including the fatal shooting and killing of a young man in Ugheli in Delta State by a police officer, and the mob killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State sometime ago, lamenting that many of those responsible are yet to face justice.
He expressed concern that some perpetrators of violent crimes had openly admitted their actions without fear of prosecution, describing such situations as evidence of serious failures within the nation’s justice system.
Soyinka maintained that when justice is delayed or denied, public confidence in state institutions continues to erode, thereby encouraging further violations of human rights.
Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious or ethnic divisions whenever he spoke on such issues, Soyinka dismissed the allegations and pointed out that his advocacy has always centred on the protection of human life and the rule of law.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding justice in cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, including the recent shooting of a young man by a police officer, stressing that every life deserves equal protection under the law.
The literary icon also recalled an earlier pledge by a past incoming president to make public the files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, questioning the status of the promised investigations.
He challenged citizens to continue asking questions about unresolved cases, insisting that justice, accountability and respect for human dignity are indispensable to building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Nigerian society.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that there was no fire at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, contrary to its earlier advisory.
Earlier yesterday, FAAN had announced that a fire incident had occurred at Terminal 2 of the nation’s busiest airport, and assured that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service had been deployed to contain the situation.
There were also reports that activities were briefly disrupted at the airport yesterday after smoke was seen inside parts of the terminal.
Videos circulating online showed passengers kept standing outside the terminal while firefighters responded to the incident.
However, in an update issued less than two hours later by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and posted on FAAN’s official X handle, the authority said preliminary findings showed that the smoke seen at the terminal was caused by the discharge of the facility’s FM-200 fire suppression system.
“Further to our earlier advisory regarding the incident at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to provide the following update,” the statement read.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN stated.
The authority said normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement added.
The authority thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation.
FAAN appreciated the understanding and cooperation of passengers, airlines, airport users and all stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of all airport operations.