Eid-el-Kabir: Speaker harps on tolerance, sacrifice

The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudsashiru Obasa, on Monday said that peaceful coexistence in Nigeria required tolerance and sacrifice by all citizens.
Obasa said this in his Eid-el-Kabir message to Nigerians, signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Musbau Rasak.
The speaker urged Nigerians, particularly Muslims, to imbibe the spirit of godliness, tolerance, perseverance and sacrifice, for peaceful co-existence in the country.
He said: “We should imbibe the spirit of godliness, perseverance and tolerance as displayed by Prophet Ibrahim, his son, Ismail and wife, Hajarat.
“They did not waiver in their belief in God. They persevered in the face of the difficulty posed by the decision to sacrifice their only child.
“The son on his part was tolerant enough to present himself for sacrifice. These are the qualities we need to engender peaceful co-existence in Nigeria — Godliness, perseverance and tolerance.
“Our strength as a country is in our diversity. We are a group of people with varying tribal and religious backgrounds, but we are committed to achieving a common purpose which is excellence.
“Therefore, we must eradicate every form of rancor and discord among us.
“We must understand and respect our differences and we must tolerate one another to maintain peace and security of lives and property.”
The speaker, who urged Nigerians, particularly Muslims, to be thankful to God for life and health, said the challenges facing the country were surmountable.
Obasa said: “The spirit of Eid-el-Kabir extols the virtue of sacrifice, and Nigerians must rededicate themselves to service.
“It is only through dedication to national service that we can build the desired nation.
“The government is committed to serving the people and ensuring that everyone enjoys the dividends of democracy.
“We are grateful for your support and cooperation so far, but I urge you not to relent in supporting government at all levels.”
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Federal Government has declared August 21 and 22 as public holidays for Sallah celebration.