The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, RT. Hon. Mudsashiru Obasa, has enjoined Nigerians, particularly Muslims, to imbibe spirits of Godliness, tolerance, perseverance and sacrifice as prerequisite for peaceful co-existence in the country.
Rt. Hon. Obasa stated this in his Sallah message to Nigerians in celebration of this year's Eid-il-Kabir festival. The message was signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Musbau Rasak.
The Lagos Assembly Speaker, who is also Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria, asked Nigerians to imbibe the spirit of Godliness, perseverance and tolerance displayed by Prophet Ibrahim, his son, Ismail and wife, Hajarat in their joint decision to sacrifice Ismail to keep the convenant the Prophet had with God while looking for child.
"We should imbibe the spirit of Godliness, perseverance and tolerance displayed by Prophet Ibrahim, his son, Ismail and wife, Hajarat. They did not waiver in their belief in God. They persevered in the face of the difficulty posed by the decision to sacrifice their only child. The son on his part was tolerant enough to present himself for sacrifice. These are the qualities we needed to engender peaceful co-existence in Nigeria: Godliness, perseverance and tolerance," Rt. Hon Obasa said.
“Our strength as a country is in our diversity. We are group of people with varying tribal and religious backgrounds but we are committed to achieving a common purpose which is excellence. Therefore we must eradicate every form of rancor and discord among us.
"We must understand and repsect our differences and we must tolerate one another in order to maintain peace and security of life and properties, ’’ he said
He urged Nigerians, particularly Muslims, to be thankful for life, as it is the biggest gift anyone can have.
“Let us remain thankful to Allah for good health and well being. When there is life, there is hope for a brighter future. Our challenges are surmountable and our problems have solutions.
Rt. Hon. Obasa, who noted that the spirit of Eid-el-Kabir extols the virtue of sacrifice, also enjoined Nigerians to rededicate themselves to service, adding that it is only through dedication to national service that "we can build the desired nation".
While commending the people for supporting the All Progressives Congress (APC) at all levels of government, the Chairman of Conference of Speakers urged them to patiently await the fulfillment of of all the promises made to them.
“The government is committed to serving the people and ensuring that everyone enjoys the dividends of democracy. We are grateful for your support and cooperation so far but I urge you not to relent in supporting government at all levels," he said.
