The Northern Governors Forum has congratulated Muslims in Nigeria on the occasion of the Eid-el-Maulud, charging them to live in love.
The chairman of the forum and governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, felicitated Muslims and gave the charge, according to a statement by his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Dr Makut Macham, on Tuesday in Jos.
He said the special occasion marking the birth of the Holy Prophet Muhammad is a reminder of his teachings of love, forgiveness, peaceful coexistence and humility among others.
The statement further noted that the failure of humanity to practise love is what has given rise to selfishness, violence, intolerance, religious bigotry, ethnic hatred, corruption, high crime rate and wickedness in the society.
The statement quoted Lalong saying that the celebration should be a moment of reflection and reconsideration of the fortunes of the nation, which can be improved if all Muslims live according to the teachings of Prophet Muhammad as contained in the Holy Qur’an.
It stated that Nigeria was in dire need of inter-religious harmony which would unite its people to experience and share love with one another irrespective of their faiths, education, economic status and ethnicity.
It also assured Muslims that the Northern Governors Forum would continue to promote peace, tolerance, national unity and religious harmony, especially now that the nation is in need of unity to overcome, corruption, insurgency, poverty and accelerate development.
The forum wished the Muslim community a successful celebration, and prayed for God’s blessings on their lives.