By Dipo Awojobi – A member of the Lagos State House of Assembly from Epe Constituency II, Hon. Segun Olulade, on Tuesday said that for the country to quickly recover from its current challenges and start moving in a positive direction, Nigerians must be ready to display high level of self-denial, sacrifice and patriotism.
Olulade, who stated this in his Eid-el-Fitri message to Nigerians, noted that a greater acceptance by Nigerians of Ramadan’s key lessons of self-denial and sacrifice would serve the country well.
The lawmaker, who is the Chairman, Committee on Health Services of the House, said the General Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is striving to overcome the present challenges, undo the damage done by years of bad governance and accelerate the pace of national development.
“As Nigerians, we all must be prepared to contribute out quota to the realisation of the kind of change we want to happen. The change we desire, as promised by the All Progressives Congress, requires our collective efforts to make it a reality.
“We must individually and collectively make sacrifices where necessary to help the administration of President Buhari move Nigeria on the right path of development and growth,” he said.
Olulade while praising all Muslim faithful who on Tuesday completed the 30-day fasting for the discipline and purity of the last 30 days, also called on them not to depart from the attitude of prayer, supplication and sacrifice for the country, adding that he believed that the Almighty Allah has recognized their devotion and “will surely bless Nigeria and bring solutions to our problems.”
He urged the Muslims to carry the lessons and virtues of love, tolerance and perseverance imbibed during the holy month of Ramadan into every aspect of their daily lives in order to move the nation forward.
“We are blessed with religious and cultural orientations that teach us to place general good above personal interest; show love and kindness to all; live holy and to be our brother’s keeper.
“We must embrace the virtues of forgiveness and common understanding as we join our counterparts across the world to celebrate the end of the Ramadan fasting season. One of the basic components of Ramadan fasting is to seek the mercy of God in seeking forgiveness for our sins.
“It thus becomes imperative for us as humans to extend the grace of forgiveness and common understanding to other human beings as well. Irrespective of our religious beliefs, we have to imbibe the lessons of Ramadan, especially the virtues of peaceful co-existence, good neighbourliness,, patriotism and respect for the sanctity of human life,” Olulade added.
