Eid-el-fitri: A time of hope, by Bola Ahmed Tinubu

As we end the fasting of the holy month of Ramadan and enter into the celebration of Eid El Fitri, we must hold in close remembrance the benevolent purposes that inform these practices.

For Muslims the world over, this is a time of reflection and of rededicating ourselves to the principles of love, charity, and kindness. For these are the principles that the ever Beneficent and Almighty Allah commands of us. He has instructed us to base our society and build our interactions with our fellowman on these rightful and good ways. If we truly believe in Allah, we must strive with all our heart and soul to obey Him because that which he asks of us is that which is best for us. It is life and light.

The celebration we now do will soon end. But the compassion and loving kindness upon which this moment is based must not pass from us. Muslims and all who love God must decide to live everyday henceforth according to His commend to love and care for your neighbour.

Where others may practice hate, let Nigerians practice brotherhood. Where others follow violence, let our way be that of peace. Where others know division, let us know only unity. Where others marry despair, let us wed ourselves to a greater hope.

All of the things, both good and bad, we have gone through as a people serve to teach us vital lessons. We are better in kindness than in greed, better through cooperation than conflict, better by building than by destroying. We are each other’s brother and sister.

Let us remember the lessons of this season and of our history to forge a more purposeful tomorrow, a tomorrow where no son or daughter of this nation long suffers the sting of injustice or tastes of the bitter cup of poverty as if this is their lot in life. May we all join league, regardless of origin of birth or preference of faith, to continue to build a Nigeria where prosperity, fairness, tolerance and peace reign. May we hold to the hope that we have found the better way and we shall always follow it in order to beget a better nation for ourselves, for those who shall follow us and for the glory of Almighty Allah.

. Being a statement by the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress and former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on the occasion of the end of Ramadan fasting for 2018.