AS the Ramadan season commences for Muslims in Nigeria and elsewhere in the world, Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan is using the occasion to urge Muslims to pray for peace, stability and progress in the country.
The president made the appeal in a statement released on Friday morning through his chief media aide, Dr. Reuben Abati, as part of his goodwill greetings for Ramadan.
“President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan greets all Muslims in Nigeria as they join the global Islamic community to begin this year’s Ramadan fasting,” the statement read, noting that the Ramadan fast teaches Muslims to practice “piety, self-discipline, self-control, sacrifice, tolerance, justice, fairness and empathy for the less fortunate in society.”
“The President calls on all Nigerian adherents of the Islamic faith to reflect on these
edifying lessons as they fast and make them a greater part of their daily lives to promote peaceful co-existence and greater unity amongst the diverse groups in Nigeria.
Taking the background of security challenges faced by his administration and the Nigerian people into consideration, the president assured Muslims in troubled areas in the country that his government will guarantee their safety as they observe the Ramadan.
“The President prays that God Almighty will grant the prayers of Nigerians during Ramadan and reward the entire nation with multiple blessings as well as greater peace, security, political stability, unity and faster socio-economic development,” the statement read, concluding that the president “wishes the Muslim community a successful and spiritually rewarding Ramadan.”