With the Federal Government’s declaration of public holidays on Monday, March 31, and Tuesday, April 1, 2025, to mark this year’s Eid-el-Fitr, Muslim faithful in the country are set to celebrate the Sallah festival.
They, however, called on the government to take steps to unite the country as well as improve the standard of living in the country.
Speaking to The Guardian, former chairman of the University of Lagos Muslim Community (UMC), Prof. Lai Olurode, stressed the need for the Federal Government to get the buy-in of Nigerians in the pursuit of its agenda, saying there is a feeling that people don’t identify with national aspirations .
According to him, the sense of inclusion seems to be weak because of the hardship in the society. He called on the President to make sure that the sense of nationalism and togetherness are consolidated by putting measures in place that will seek more inclusivity in the running of the government.
Urging the President to invest more in the rural sector than wasting resources on the political elite in urban areas, the former National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said: “I think what the President can do is to focus more on the rural sector because the rural areas are where the government can invest and that is where food is produced, that is where majority of Nigerians actually reside. So, let the government address the infrastructural decay in the areas, make the roads motorable and let there be power supply. If these issues are addressed with food processing cottage industries, people such as teachers, doctors and artisans, among others, will be interested to go back to the villages.”
Olurode decried the government’s attitude to prioritise politics, thereby making seeking of political appointments the ultimate.
He argued that when people couldn’t access opportunities, they become dangerous to society and government establishments. He added that President Tinubu should look in the direction of reaching the poor. He also drew the President’s attention to the lean resources given to education, health and infrastructure.
“Look at the school system from primary, secondary to university; health sector and infrastructure. Government’s spending is very low and there is need to privatise purpose-spending that will actually reach the generality of Nigerians but government is concentrating resources on the political elite in the urban areas,” he alleged.
He lampooned the Federal Government for trying to control everything from the centre, warning Nigerians of the danger. He called on Muslims to demonstrate the sense of empathy for the poor and less privileged in the society as they celebrate Eid-el-Fitr .
Similarly, Secretary of Nawair-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, Mushin/Oshodi branch, Abdullateef Adeniji, urged the Federal Government to bring down the cost of food items and also create jobs for the teeming population of Nigerian youths.
Speaking on the essence of Eid-el-Fitr, Adeniji said that Muslims had obeyed the wish and decree of Allah by undertaking the obligatory fasting, saying the next is to gather, pray and give thanks to the Almighty Allah for sparing their lives to witness this year’s festival.
Describing the occasion as a time of happiness and thanksgiving, the secretary enjoined Muslim faithful to use the period to bring out the best of character in them and stand out wherever they are.
He said: “I implore every Muslim to try and imbibe the teachings of this Ramadan. We are good people and the best can always come out of us. That is why you see individuals and organisations churning out goods, buying foodstuff for the less privileged so that Ramadan will be easy for the majority of Muslims. They gave both in cash and in kind. These are the teachings of Ramadan and I encourage them to continue to demonstrate this culture and not to go back to our old habits.”
Also, the Chief Imam of Adisat Central Mosque, Mushin, Manzoor Olohuntosin Shile, called on the Federal Government to eradicate poverty in the land, saying that Nigerians are suffering.
He thanked Muslim brethren who provided succour to so many Muslims during the Ramadan, adding that their kind gesture gave many people the opportunity to eat two square meals a day.
He said the government led by President Bola Tinubu should try to unite Nigerians and make them have a sense of belonging. He lamented that love for one another is fast eroding in Nigeria, saying something should be done in that direction to keep Nigeria safe.
While calling on the Muslims not to forget what the Qur’an taught them during the Ramadan, the Chief Imam said if they applied those teachings in their lives, such as the fear of Allah, love for one another and abstinence from sin, they would have fulfilled the wish of their creator concerning their existence on earth.
For the Chief Imam of the University of Lagos Muslim Community (UMC), Prof. Ismail Musa, the task of alleviating the pain of the downtrodden is a collective responsibility. He called on individuals, groups, the federal and state governments to strategise on reducing human suffering indices on a sustainable basis.
Musa urged mosques and churches to lead the way at the level of advocacy and practicality.
“Religious centres must have elaborate programmes that target the poor, the sick, the physically impaired and the economically displaced. They should demonstrate how individuals, groups and government agencies should comprehensively address the challenges confronting vulnerable members of the society through interim solution’s now called palliatives and permanent ones called empowerment programmes,” Musa said.
He described Eid-el-fitr as a season of celebrating mutual love and solidarity between the rich, the poor and the powerful and the weak.
He said: “When Muslims gather on the day of Idul-Fitr, it reminds them of the ultimate celebration in paradise and the need to work assiduously for it. One of the ways of seeking the ultimate price of paradise is to ensure human beings are not dehumanised.
“The Id is a moral call on anyone with the ability to assist and support fellow human beings with economic, social, psychological and physical disabilities without hesitation. Fasting, which precedes the Id, is a training in demonstration of compassion towards the needy. It is a powerful reminder that some people pray on a daily basis seeking means of survival from their Creator. They seek divine intervention and relief from hardship and incapacitation. The pain they pass through is so intense that they do not mind a temporary relief even when they know that a permanent solution is what is actually required.
“Allah responds to their prayers through the privileged members of the society who realise that their possessions belong to God in reality. So, they are prepared to give, out of what belongs to God, to those who seek God’s assistance. Who among the righteous servants of God hears and responds to the muted calls of the needy members of society.”
On his part, Imam Saheed Abdul Samad of Emiabata Aduragba Mosque stated that Islam is a religion of peace, adding that its adherents are very accommodating.
“Your character shows who you are,” he said.
He called on the government to do the needful for Nigerians, adding that they know what is good for Nigerians.
He added that Eid-el-fitr for Muslims is not for the fun but for the sacrifices and worshipping of Allah.
“He desires that every Muslim enjoys the festival and be happy,” he said.
