TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
The Nigerian Senate has called on Nigerians, especially the Muslim faithful to be conscious of the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and celebrate with modesty.
Delivering the Eid-el-Kabir message of the upper chamber while addressing journalists after praying at the Osogbo central praying ground on Tuesday, Senate’s spokesperson, Senator Ajibola Basiru urged worshippers to pray for the leadership of the country.
He said, “The message from the Senate is that we should all celebrate with modesty and bearing in mind the challenges of COVID-19.
I call on Nigerians to keep praying for our leaders, especially President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Gboyega Oyetola.”
Gov Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State joined other Muslim faithful in Osogbo, to observe the two Rakaat Eid-el-Kabir prayer.
He charged Nigerians on religious tolerance, peaceful coexistence, good neighbourliness, extension of fellowship to the less privileged and total compliance with COVID-19 pandemic safety guidelines as well as moderation in the celebration of the festival.
Gov Oyetola charged Muslims to continue to abide by the significance of the festival and take it as their way of life.
He described Eid-el-Kabir as a period of sober reflection, and called on Muslims to live in peace and celebrate the festival moderately.
He tasked them to see the celebration as a period to double their efforts on good deeds by extending the hands of fellowship to the less privileged who he said deserve to celebrate as well.
Governor Oyetola noted that the state of things in the country required the citizens to continue to maintain the peace and promote religious tolerance.
He said, “I want to enjoin you all and our people in general to live in peace and celebrate this Eid-el-Kabir moderately. We should extend hands of fellowship to the less privileged who deserve to celebrate as well.
We must continue to maintain peace. We must avoid anything that can threaten peace in our State and we must not emphasise religious difference but rather promote religious tolerance.”
