President Muhammadu Buhari has charged Nigerians, especially Muslims, to adopt religion as a motivator for good deeds and not just a mere badge of identity.
Buhari gave the charge on Friday, in his message to mark this year’s Eid-el-Kabir festival, lamenting the prevalent practice of religiosity without the fear of God in the country.
According to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, the President also called on 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.”
According to the President: “Religion shouldn’t just be used as a mere badge of identity, but as a motivator for doing good for our country and humanity.
“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 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.
According to the President: “We should show love and care to our neighbours and others while celebrating this spiritually important event in our lives.”
He 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.”
On the current security challenges and costs of living in the country, Buhari assured: “I won’t rest until I bring relief to Nigerians,” adding that “I am quite aware of the difficulties people are facing and working to resolve them.”
The President hoped that this Eid will be a source of blessing, peace, prosperity and safety for all Nigerians, stressing that coexistence and stability will prevail in the country.