Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo
As the Muslim Ummah celebrate the end of Ramadan fast and eid-el-fitr, prominent voices in Taraba state call on the people to eschew violence and embrace peace so as to bring an end to the lingering crisis in the state and foster development.
The state deputy governor Alhaji Haruna Manu in his Sallah message to the people described the period as “a special Ramadan and Sallah that came at a time the COVID-19 pandemic has ravaged the whole world” and called on the people “to unite in prayer against the challenges confronting humanity, especially Taraba state”.
Similarly, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly Doctor Joseph Kunini called on the people of the state to join the entire Muslim Ummah in praying for total peace in the troubled areas of the state.
Kunini, who commended the state government for the efforts at containing the COVID-19 pandemic urged the people to “remain vigilant as they celebrate Sallah by observing social distancing and basic hygiene protocol that would ensure that the state remains safe even afterwards”.
Meanwhile the member representing Taraba at the northeast development commission Chief David Kente on Sunday called on the people of the state to use the occasion of this year’s Sallah celebration to reach out to the less privileged members of the society.
In a press statement on the occasion of Sallah, Kente noted that “the global devastation caused by COVID-19 has made it even more important for the Muslim Ummah and the entire people of the state to uphold and sustain the virtues that characterise the holy month of Ramadan and the great feast of Sallah”.
He urged all warring factions in the state to sheath their swords and embrace peace in the spirit of Sallah.