As Imam, Muslim civil servants pray for Ambode
Benjamin Omoike I Monday, May 28, 2018
IKEJA, Lagos, Nigeria – Lagos state Commissioner for Home Affairs, Dr. AbdulHakeem AbdulLateef, has enjoined Muslims and all righteous people in Nigeria to participate actively in the political arena; saying as a people, Lagosians, and indeed Nigerians, would not experience ideal democracy needed to bring the desired socio-economic development, infrastructural growth, prosperity and happiness, if this is not done.
While delivering his Keynote Address titled, “Morality, The Missing Element in Nigerian Politics”, at a recent Ramadan Lecture organised by the Yaba College of Technology Muslims Alumni Association, he said, “The people who have the fear of Allah, knowledgeable, righteous and have all it takes to govern and put things right, remain apathetic and disinterested, abandoning the political landspace to those who are there for selfish desires and personal gains.
“The vast majority of those who are active in politics today do not fear Allah, as they are there for business, cannot keep promises and would not be able to bring the necessary changes for which the masses clamour. Indeed, they cannot give what they do not have. It is for this reason that as blessed and favoured as Nigeria is, with abundant human and mineral resources, including petroleum and gas, clement weather and extremely good arable land, the country has continued to lag behind in virtually everything because most people are unmindful of the bounties of Allah, ungrateful of Allah’s abundance of blessings and made wrong all what Allah has made right for them,” he said.
AbdulLateef said these set of leaders whom had no fear of God, had by their own hands brought untoward circumstances to reign in the land and allowed all manner of vices such as terrorism, kidnapping, unemployment, inflation, fear, disillusionment, apathy and hunger to prevail, unfortunately.
The Commissioner strongly advised that righteous, God-fearing individuals should fully participate in politics, contest for elective positions and support the people with the fear of God through their voices and votes, so that the people would actually experience the favourable consequences of their actions.
While making reference to Quran 16 verse 11, he said, “The Almighty Allah will not change the condition of the people until they themselves see the evil they have brought upon themselves and reverse the trend by being upright.”
He stated that the participation of God-fearing people had become paramount and that if the desired results must be achieved, Muslims must move away from their current state of disinterestedness in politics and take leading roles in this regard; contest, support and elect those who fear Allah and those with the necessary qualifications, attitude, love and care to lead and govern.
He added that the people could not continue to be disenchanted and expect different results. “Mosques are more than polling centres in Nigeria, and Muslims must use these channels to propagate the required knowledge and importance of political participation, he advised.
He stressed that Muslims must operate from “the Manual”, which would provide the required knowledge before they could be effective leaders at home, work place, the political arena and do the right things. He charged Muslims to demand and support people with the highest levels of qualifications and requirements, and in doing so, give priority to those with the fear of Allah.
He said Ramadan is about Takwa or the fear of Allah, adding that it should not be viewed mainly as abstinence from food and other pleasures but application of all what is pure and just as decreed.
Opportunities, he said, abound in Nigeria and if activated, would usher in a new era of accelerated development and appropriate democratic practice. “The Nigerian Muslims must therefore think out of the box and give good values, show transparency and honesty to strengthen family, social, religious and political institutions,” he said.
Meanwhile, in a related development, the Chief Imam at the Lagos state secretariat Mosque, Alausa, Alhaji Muhammed Abulbakri Raji, has called on all Muslims to support the re-election bid of governor Akinwunmi Ambode, for his numerous landmark achievements, that have significantly transformed the landscape of the state, bringing unprecedented development, rapid modernisation, and unparallel infrastructural growth to Lagos.
At the Jumat Service and Special prayer organised by the Lagos Ministry of Home Affairs in celebration of Democracy Day, where the Muslim community in Alausa and Ikeja area, as well as Muslim Public Servants converged to observe Jumat Service and pray for continuity of peaceful coexistence and religious harmony that has been subsisting in the state, the Presiding Imam, Alhaji Raji, highlighted governor Ambode’s numerous achievements, saying Ambode is God-fearing, upright and keeps promises.
He said the governor does not discriminate, and that he is passionate for Lagos and cared for Lagosians. “He is very responsive to their wishes and desires. These are sterling qualities a Muslim should possess; though governor Ambode is a Christian, he has the qualities of a righteous Muslim. In the past three years of his Administration, he has worked assiduously and his noble efforts have yielded tremendous outcomes never witnessed before in Nigeria.
His Excellency, Governor Ambode, deserves a second term.”
He said Ambode should be commended for sustaining the level of safety and security of the state, the sector he invested heavily in and that he be applauded for the prompt actions he took to stamp out Badoo Cults and kidnappers when they threatened the state with their devilish and dastardly acts. He added that the governor should be supported for bringing development to the grassroots and impacting positively in the lives of ordinary Lagosians from all walks of life, and in all the wards And Local Government/Local Government Development Authorities of the state.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Home Affairs, Dr. AbdulHakeem AbdulLateef, said governor Akinwunmi Ambode would not relent in his efforts to transform Lagos to a Smart City that would be the pride of all Africans and would always implement programmes and projects to keep the state in the forefront of development.
He said Lagosians should continue to keep the faith and to support the re-election bid of governor Ambode, just as he enjoined all Muslims in this month of Ramadan and beyond, to be pious, act well and be truthful in all their conducts, for them to bestow worthy and lasting legacies for coming generations to thrive and build on.
