President Muhammadu Buhari, on Friday, vowed not to rest until all Nigerians get relief from him in view of the current security challenges and rising cost of living in the country.
Buhari stated this in his Eid-el Kabir message to Nigerian Muslims and other citizens.
“I am quite aware of the difficulties people are facing and working to resolve them,” he said in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu.
The President expressed hope that this year’s Eid would be a source of blessing, peace, prosperity and safety for all Nigerians.
He stressed that coexistence and stability would prevail in Nigeria.
While calling for more patriotism to build a better Nigeria, Buhari appealed to Nigerians to put the interest of the country above selfish interests and “use religion as a motivation for the love of our common humanity.”
He said, “If we are putting the teachings of our religions into practice, most of the evils afflicting our society would have been solved.”
He noted that “religion shouldn’t just be used as a mere badge of identity, but as a motivator for doing good for our country and humanity.”
Buhari added that “the exploitation of the people by traders and the stealing of public funds by civil servants and other holders of public trust is a reflection of the abandonment of the teachings of our religions.
“Our society is a bundle of contradictions. People display external religiosity without fear of God; they make life difficult for others; money becomes their god; leaders abandon their oaths of office by taking money meant for the welfare of the people and divert it to their private pockets.”
Buhari congratulated the Muslim Ummah in Nigeria and the world on the occasion of the Eid, citing for special mention, “the brave men and women in uniform fighting terror on many fronts and their families, as well as others held hostage and kept away from their families by wicked and heartless terrorists.”
He used the occasion to call on all Muslims to reflect on the significance of the sacrifice epitomised by Eid.
He said, “We should show love and care to our neighbours and others while celebrating this spiritually important event in our lives.”
Buhari also advised Muslims “to promote the good virtues of Islam through personal examples and practice,” adding that “Muslims should avoid association with violent extremist ideas that have wrongly given Islam a negative image or poor perception.”