THE Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Chief Gani Adams, has charged all and sundry, especially religious leaders, to maximise the gains of Ramadan by shunning fanaticism and fostering peace and unity across the country.
Adams gave the charge in Amuwo-Odofin, Lagos, during the eighth edition of the annual Ramadan lecture of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC).
While applauding the Muslim faithful in the South-West for being moderate in their practice of Islamic, he observed that religion shouldn’t be used as tool for sowing the seed of discord and disunity.
He frowned at some people in the northern part of the country who, he said, had taken religion too far.
Adams, who noted that the lecture was designed to explore the beauty of Islam, said: “As the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, I subscribe to the three major religions and that same belief also applies to all members of the OPC.
“Our efforts to liberate our race from bondage are beyond religion, so I think it is our responsibility as a group to accommodate all religions in order to ensure peace and unity.
“Nigeria remains where it is today because we have used religion as a tool for war and discord. I think we can move forward if we can retrace our steps.
“During Ramadan, you see the rich identifying with the poor. They share and extend their hands of generosity to the poor and the downtrodden in the society because they know the importance of the holy month of Ramadan.”
The guest lecturer, Sheikh Jamiu Amiolorun, emphasised the need to be close to Allah, saying Allah had blessed the world with the month of Ramadan.
He urged members of the OPC to remain loyal to the authorities even as he noted that the Yoruba had its tradition which was not at variance with the religion and belief that God is the ultimate.
Amiolorun urged Nigerian leaders to address the security situation in the country, saying all religious leaders should embrace peace in order to strengthen the bond of unity across the country.
“Going forward, the holy month offers us the opportunity to retrace our steps. If not for people like Aare Gani Adams, Yoruba would have lost the battle,” the cleric said.
YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
We Have Not Had Water Supply In Months ― Abeokuta Residents
In spite of the huge investment in the water sector by the government and international organisations, water scarcity has grown to become a perennial nightmare for residents of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. This report x-rays the lives and experiences of residents in getting clean, potable and affordable water amidst the surge of COVID-19 cases in the state…Let’s maximise gains Let’s maximise gains
Selfies, video calls and Chinese documentaries: The things you’ll meet onboard Lagos-Ibadan train
The Lagos-Ibadan railway was inaugurated recently for a full paid operation by the Nigerian Railway Corporation after about a year of free test-run. Our reporter joined the train to and fro Lagos from Ibadan and tells his experience in this report…Let’s maximise gains Let’s maximise gains
and then