• Preach love, patience, sacrifice
From Desmond Mgboh, Kano, Rose Ejembi, Makurdi, Wole Balogun, Ado-Ekiti
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has advised Nigerians to put the love of the country above personal interests.
He said this would make the “Nigeria of our dreams” possible.
In his goodwill message to Muslim faithful, Jonathan cited the example of Ibrahim who was willing to sacrifice his son.
“Let us imbibe Ibrahim’s ideals and put Nigeria first in all we do. I salute the Muslim Ummah this Sallah. Happy Eid-El-Kabir,” he wrote on Twitter.
“Without self-sacrifice, we will never see the Nigeria of our dreams…On Eid-El-Kabir, we honour Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son. This must teach us that we must all sacrifice for Nigeria’s greatness,” he said.
In his Sallah message, Kano State Acting Governor, Professor Hafiz Abubakar enjoined wealthy Nigerians to assist the needy in the face of the current economic recession in the country.
“Indeed, we are passing through trying moments and we have a moral responsibility to assist the needy, widows, orphans and the vulnerable among us, so that we alleviate their sufferings.”
Professor Abubakar explained that helping this category of Nigerians and the sick was a key virtue in Islam.
Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello expressed hope for better days for the country after the current recession, insisting that tough times don’t last forever.
He expressed optimism that with a little more sacrifice, the country’s testimony shall be like Prophet Ibrahim who reaped the reward of sacrifice in place of his son.
The governor also advised the privileged and wealthy in the society, in line with the teachings and lifestyle of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), to reach out to the needy in the season of celebration.
Meanwhile, Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has restated the determination of his administration to address critical issues such as salaries and pensions owed workers as well as retirees in the state.HELP THE POOR