Sallah: IBB, Abdulsalami, Bayero, others preach peace

As Muslims across the world celebrated Eid-el-Fitri on Thursday,
former Nigerian leaders and other prominent Nigerians have called for
peaceful co-existence among different ethnic groups for the country to develop.
In Minna, Niger State, Generals Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalami
Abubakar, former military Heads of State, were among the Muslim
faithful, who worshipped at the Minna main Eid prayer ground on
Thursday.
Abubakar urged Nigerians to imbibe the lesson of the Ramadan fasting
by living peacefully with one another irrespective of difference in
religion and ethnic grouping.
In a sermon, the Emir of Minna, Alhaji Umar Bahago, called on people
to support government programmes, especially the polio campaign by
allowing their wards to be immunised.
In Enugu, the Chief Imam of 82 Division, Colonel Mustapha Garuba,
called on Nigerians to always embrace peace in all their dealings.
“All religions scriptures either Muslim or Christian preached peace,
therefore, Nigerians should adhere to it and put aside selfish
interests,” Garuba said.
Similarly, the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, called on the people
of the state to continue to pray for the sustenance of peace and
stability in the state and the country.
Bayero told Muslims faithful at his Palace after the Eid-el-Fitri
prayer at the Central Mosque, Kano, that no society could achieve any
meaningful development in an atmosphere of rancor and uncertainty.
Represented by the Wamban Kano, Alhaji Abbas Sanusi, the emir warned
the people, particularly Kano residents, to desist from indiscriminate
building of structures on water ways to avoid flood disaster.
Sheikh Ali Ukiwo, a cleric and an Imam in Umuahia, Abia State,
enjoined Nigerians to support President Goodluck Jonathan to ensure
the realisation of the transformation agenda.
In a sermon at the state Library worship ground, Ukiwo said: “As you
celebrate, I urge you all to imbibe the tenets of oneness, love and
mutual cooperation in building a greater Nigeria.”
The Deputy Governor of Yobe State, Alhaji Abubakar Aliyu, in his
message, urged Muslims to maintain the religious and moral lessons of
the Ramadan fasting to promote peace in the state.
Aliyu noted the efficacy of prayers in stemming insecurity in the
state, saying: “We must not relent in prayers because the efforts of
security operatives combined with our prayers have brought relative
peace in the state.”
The deputy governor urged the public to continue assisting the
security agents with useful information as part of their contributions to sustaining peace in the state.
The Emir of Dutse, Alhaji Nuhu Sunusi, prayed for peace and mutual
co-existence among the people in the country.
In his goodwill message to mark the Eid-el-Fitri celebration in Dutse, Sanusi advised Muslims to consider the fasting as a period of
repentance and sober reflections.
The emir also enjoined Muslims in the country to live peacefully with
one another irrespective of religious or ethnic differences.