Osun Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, on Tuesday morning, joined other Muslim faithful in Osogbo, the State capital to observe the two Rakaat Eid-el-Kabir prayer.
The prayer was held at the Osogbo Central Praying Ground.
The atmosphere was not only favourable but pre-occupied with euphoria and conspicuous enthusiasms as residents of Osogbo thronged out in large numbers to welcome the Governor.
The ecstatic residents who mounted the streets at different locations, expressed their satisfaction, solidarity and support for the Governor and his Administration, and displayed banners marked with Governor’s pictures all around the routes to the Osogbo Central Praying Ground.
This is even as the Governor charged Nigerians on religious tolerance, peaceful coexistence, good neighbourliness, extension of fellowship to the less privileged and total compliance with Covid-19 pandemic safety guidelines as well as moderation in the celebration of the festival.
Governor Oyetola’s convoy had earlier departed Government House, Okefia, through Old Garage to Station Road through Oja-Oba to Obate and Oke-Baale where the residents lined up on the streets to solidarise with the Governor and register their satisfaction on the way and manner he has been ruling the affairs of the State since assumption of office.
Addressing the Muslim Ummah shortly after the two Rakaat Prayers, Governor Oyetola charged Muslims to continue to abide by the significance of the festival and take it as their way of life.
Oyetola who described Eid-el-Kabir as a period of sober reflection called on Muslims to live in peace and celebrate the festival moderately.
He tasked them to see the celebration as a period to double their efforts on good deeds by extending the hands of fellowship to the less privileged who he said deserve to celebrate as well.
Governor Oyetola noted that the state of things in the country required the citizens to continue to maintain the peace and promote religious tolerance.
He congratulated Muslim Ummah across the globe for witnessing and celebrating another Eid-el-Kabir which could not be publicly celebrated last year due to the excruciating effects of Coronavirus pandemic that ravaged the entire world.
“I congratulate all the Muslims in Osun, Nigeria and entire world. We thank God that we are able to celebrate this year. Last year, we were unable to celebrate because of Covid-19 pandemic. But we thank Almighty Allah for giving us the grace to be here today.
“I want to enjoin you all and our people in general to live in peace and celebrate this Eid-el-Kabir moderately. We should extend hands of fellowship to the less privileged who deserve to celebrate as well. We must continue to maintain peace. We must avoid anything that can threaten peace in our State and we must not emphasise religious difference but rather promote religious tolerance.
” We must love our neighbours and we must not forget the fact that this Covid-19 pandemic is not gone yet. We must observe all the safety guidelines and protocols by washing our hands regularly, wear nose masks and maintain social distancing. May Almighty Allah continue to be with us to be able to celebrate more on earth.
“Let us do everything with moderation, extend hands of fellowship to the less privileged and let’s recognize the fact that Covid-19 is still very much with us. Let us live in peace. Religious tolerance is one of the things we must promote. Osun is known for peace and I want us to get celebrated as most peaceful State in Nigeria.
“Today is thanksgiving and prayer. I greet our Muslim brothers and sisters. I thank God we were able to witness today.
“I commend you for your support and we still need your support. It has been God all the way. Sometimes I ask myself how I have been doing it successfully, but as a man of faith, I know it has been God. Let us continue to allow peace at all times. May Allah continue to be with everyone of us. I congratulate you all,” Oyetola added.
In his sermon, the Chief Imam of Osogbo, Sheikh Musa Animasahun, urged Muslims on good deeds, love and good neighbourliness.
He called on Muslims to abstain from sins and always obey the commandments of God as part of worship, saying the time has come for humanity to move closer to God than before as the world is moving to an end.
Sheikh Musa who congratulated Muslims across the globe on the occasion of this year’s Eid-el-Kabir, prayed God to allow us witness more on earth, just as he prayed for the success of the Oyetola-led administration.
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