The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has tasked Nigerians to use the on-going Ramadan to embrace moral rejuvenation and remission of sins.
Muslim faithfuls were specifically enjoined to consider themselves as morally bound in re-working their values and structure their lives to focus on those virtues hitherto unattended to at this defining moment in the nation’s history, when the national economy is static while the people are suffering an all time high values debasement.
Addressing a congregation of muslim faithful at the 2017 National Prayer/Ramadan Lecture organised by the Oyo State Directorate of NOA in
Ibadan on Thursday, the State Director of the Agency, Mrs. Dolapo Dosunmu remarked that “moral values in Islam are not only theoretical
ideals, it must be put in practice and Ramadan period is a momentous period to exhibit high ethical values.”
While maintaining that there is no better time than now to preach moral values in our social inter-relations, she remarked that Ramadan “is
also a period for remission of sins when satan is chained and humanity is liberated.”
The NOA boss stated that the enormous challenges currently confronting Nigeria require multi-dimensional approach saying however that “the
best of all options to put the nation back on the glorious path of honour, social order and economic boom is fervent prayers.”
She spoke further: “We should bear it in mind at all times that good governance, well ordered society and sustenance of a value-based system is a collective task. Hene, we should not fail in our individual effort to build a national of our collective desire. We should show mercy to other people in order to receive Allah’s mercies.”
The guest lecturer at the event, Alhaji Omooba Rasheed Adesokan, while speaking on the topic “Living Islam in a multi-religious society with peace, social cohesion and national unity as a ommon goal” noted with concern unfolding events in the country tend to portray the ignorance on the part of some Muslims on the position f the Quran on some issues which make them behave in ways that tend to portray Islam in bad light.
Alhaji Adesokan, the Baale of Bodija who doubles as the Balogun Mumini of Yorubaland also blamed what he tagged plain mischief on the part of some non-Muslims as reflected in their eager readiness to blame Islam rather than the individual perpetrators of certain illegal acts and called for a change of attitude to enthrone peace, security, prosperity and social cohesion which are all desirable by everyone in the society.
