The Companion, an association of Muslim men in business and the professions, has charged Nigerian leaders to prioritise policies and programmes aimed at alleviating the hardship facing the citizenry.
As the basic way out, the group called on Muslims to be faithful in Allah, as exemplified by Prophet Ibrahim while his trial lasted.
These were contained in a press statement jointly signed by the group’s National Amir, Engr. Kamil Olalekan and National Public Affairs Secretary, Muideen Adeleke, on Sunday.
The Companion lamented the general concern about economic suffocation, while the country’s leaders relished in luxurious lifestyles.
The organisation decried the current hyperinflation in the country occasioned by the daily rise in prices of foods and general unemployment among the teeming Nigerian youths, often regarded as the backbone of the nation’s economy.
The association posited that the recent report of National Bureau of Statistics which claims that, ‘inflation rate rose from 33.69% in April 2024 to 33.95% in May 2024, calls for serious concern.
It would be recalled that NBS linked the increase on the rise to the cost of food and non- alcoholic beverages that went up by 1.11% and the prices of housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuel, which rose by 0.36%.
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To this end, The Companion advised the Federal Government to adopt a holistic approach towards attainment of food security by tackling general insecurity to encourage massive food production.
It unequivocally condemned the unpatriotic activities of many Nigerians whose exploitative tendency has continually worsened the state of economy.
“It is unfortunate that many unpatriotic marketers, traders and middlemen have continually engaged in price speculation, in order to exploit the hapless citizenry”, The Companion bemoaned.
The organisation however challenged Muslims to be irrevocably faithful to Allah, their Creator, as demonstrated by Prophet Ibrahim whose singular act of devotion is replicated by Muslims all over the world today.
While felicitating Muslims around the world as they celebrate the festival of sacrifice, the group admonished them to uphold the kernel of Eid-il-Adha, by being steadfast in goodness.
The Companion equally congratulated pilgrims on Hajj for successfully navigating through the rigorous Arafah’s rites and prayed to Allah to see them through the remaining aspects of the pilgrimage.
Meanwhile, the group prayed for brothers and sisters among other Muslims, who recently departed the world, asking Allah to forgive their shortcomings and gift them with jannatul firdaus.