Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has called on Nigerians to keep praying for their leaders and make sacrifices for the growth and development of the country.
Governor Sanwo-Olu made this call at an Eid Ul- Adha Celebration organized by the First Family with the theme: “Indeed I will make you a leader for the people,” and held on Sunday at the Lagos House, Ikeja.
The governor, who the deputy governor represented, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, said that Nigerians should pray for their leaders for them to do things right for the benefit of the citizenry as, according to him, all citizenry suffer when the leaders get it wrong.
“We should always pray for our leaders because when the leaders get it wrong, then all of us will suffer. I enjoin all to keep praying for our leaders so that when they do the right things, citizens will also benefit,” he said.
Governor Sanwo-Olu noted that Muslims should always follow the tenets of Allah and make sacrifices for the development of the country in order for all to benefit from a better country.
The governor, while emphasizing the need for citizens to sacrifice for their country, cited that Prophet Ibrahim tried sacrificing his son because he believed in God, saying that “as Nigerians, we should also believe in God and our country.”
He, therefore, prayed that Allah would continue to be with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, governors, members of the National Assembly, and States House Assemblies.
Earlier in her welcome address, Lagos State First Lady Dr (Mrs.) Claudiana Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, described the theme as instructive, saying that it places emphasis on the fact that one cannot become a leader without being faithful, available, and teachable, which she referred to as the F.A.T Principle (Faithful, Available, Teachable).
She, therefore, charged Nigerian leaders to be Faithful, Available, and teachable as well as ensure that the same principle was passed down to their children to make them know and appreciate the need to be faithful to Allah’s command equally.
Speaking further, the governor’s wife, Dr. Sanwo-Olu, urged all to live above boards in their relationship with Allah and embrace peace, unity, and honesty as they interfaced with the people.
She equally charged that citizens should continue to remember their leaders and the country in their prayers and be faithful to their civil obligations.
In his lecture, titled: “That man can have nothing except what he strives for,” the Chief Imam, Daaru Naim Central Mosque, Alimosho, Sheik Imran Abdul Mojeed Eleha, urged the political officeholders to embark on projects and programmes that would outlive them and be beneficial to the citizens.
The Muslim cleric further advised them to be fair and just and ensure equity in their dealings with all citizens, stressing that all political appointments should be based on merit and capability, which would aid development in the country.
Sheik Mojeed Eleha also charged citizens to be law-abiding, peaceful, and always pray for their leaders.