By Nma Shekwolo -minna/Iro Babayola – Yobe

Former military President, Ibrahim Babangida, has sued for peace among citizens of the country in a message to mark this year’s Eid-el-Kabir in Minna, Niger State.

Speaking at the township Central Mosque after prayers led by the Chief Imam of Minna, Ibrahim Fari, Babangida urged Nigerians to be good neighbours to each other by safeguarding the collective interest of the community and by extension the whole country.

“Let everyone be his brothers keeper,” he said.

The state governor, Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, former head of state, Abdulsalqami Abubakar and thousand other worshippers attended the prayers.

Abubakar, on his part said it was time to honour the tenet of Islam which calls for peace and hoped that the citizenry will contribute towards maintaining peace and ensuring security in the state.

Also speaking, the governor said the country needed peace and unity in any circumstance to attain its goal of sustained socio-economic development in all spheres of human endeavours.

Similarly, the Yobe State governor, Ibrahim Gaidam, has called on Muslims faithful not to relent in their prayers for the return of peace and stability to troubled parts of the country.

The governor, in a press statement, said all our citizens should continue to pray for peace and stability to reign in the state and Nigeria as a whole.

He said: “We should also pray for the continued well-being, prosperity and good health of all our people and for peace, harmony and unity to continue to prevail in our State in particular and in our dear country Nigeria at large.”

Gaidam further urged parents to “inculcate in our children the spirit of love, honesty, discipline and above all moral uprightness at all times”.

He went on to add: “we must make sacrifice to make the poor, orphans and the less privileged in the society happy in order to get the pleasure of our creator. We should always be good and show compassion to followers of other religions by showing natural inclination through the exhibition of respect, kindness. love, and peacefulness to all fellow human beings.”

His counterpart, Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State, noted that religious tolerance remained a vital ingredient for peace and development to thrive during and after the Eid-el-Kabir.

“This year’s celebration affords Nigerians another opportunity to correct the wrongs of the past and return the country to enviable position it has always occupied in Africa and beyond,” he said.

Najeem Salaam, the Speaker of Osun State House of Assembly, urged individual and religious organisations not to relent in their prayers for the unity and stability of the country.

Najeem said Nigerians must be ready to make selfless sacrifice to ensure development.

Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River congratulated Muslims on this year’s Eid-el Kabir and urged them to devote their energies toward the development of the country.

“As we celebrate this special season of Eid-el Kabir, I wish to charge you to direct your thoughts and energies in a positive way to help our nation realise its dreams of a better place for us all. Let us use the guiding spirit and philosophy behind the celebration to join hands with people of other faith to bring about peace in Nigeria,” he said.

The Eid-el Kabir celebration was marked peacefully across the country with no case of violence.