At Sallah, leaders greet Muslims, task Nigerians on unity, peace, others

EMINENT Nigerians, among them the Sultan of Sokoto and President General of Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, have asked Moslems to use the Sallah period to pray for the country’s unity and peaceful co-existence of the citizens.
A statement by JNI Secretary, Dr. Khalid Aliyu, Abubakar said:  “We remind the Ummah not to be oblivious of the Arafat day fasting recommended for the non-pilgrims. Similarly, Muslims are called upon to pray for the peaceful co-existence of Nigeria”.
The Sultan urged Muslims to be wary of the hazards on the nation’s road network during Sallah, adding: “As for the travelling, we implore all to be wary of our roads and drive with caution, taking into account all the precautionary measures while driving.
Governors Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State, Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo), Adams Oshiomhole  (Edo), Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta) and Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti) as well as the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar also felicitated with Muslims.
They all harped on good neighbourliness, nation building, religious tolerance and the need to make the Nigerian project a success.
The Archbishop of Lagos, His Grace Most Rev. (Dr.) Alfred Adewale Martins rejoiced with Muslims as they celebrate the Eid-el-Kabir, the Feast of Sacrifice.
He expressed the solidarity and good wishes of the Catholic Community of Lagos Archdiocese with their Muslim brothers and sisters and called on them to embrace the faith of Abraham by making more sacrifices to preserve the peace and unity of the country.
In his Sallah goodwill message signed by the Director of Social Communications, Very Rev. Msgr. Gabriel Osu, the Archbishop called for peace and unity in the country even as he condemned the violence meted out against innocent people, especially in the Northern part of the country.
Meanwhile, the Kano State government has approved N1.7 billion as ram bonus for civil servants in the state just as prices of animals and other consumables have been jacked up.
Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso had earlier directed state ministries, agencies and parastatals to disburse the controversial Sallah ram allowance to civil servants.
The governor had early this year attempted to discontinue the routine allowances to workers when he forwarded an executive bill to state House of Assembly requesting amendment on the provision that would make it optional, a situation that initially split the legislators along party lines.
But the state’s chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) seems not convinced about the genuineness of the government’s gesture just as it maintained that 2011 ram bonus is pending.
To ensure sanity on the highways during the celebrations, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has commenced a nationwide special patrol tagged ‘Operation Barka da Sallah II 2012’ slated for October 26 to 29.
This exercise, which is in line with the FRSC’s renewed drive to reduce the spate of road traffic crashes in the country especially during the Ember season, has also being designed to address the perennial rise in the violation of traffic rules and regulations especially during festive season.
On its part, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has stepped up supply and distribution of petroleum products to end long queues at filing stations during the festive period.
The Acting Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of NNPC, Mr. Fidel Pepple, in a statement, said its subsidiary, the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC), has intensified efforts at ensuring that fuel was available in every nook and cranny of the country so that people can travel with ease to join their families and friends for the Eid-el-Kabir and other festivals coming up towards the end of the year.
To ensure a dirt-free environment this weekend, Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has concluded arrangements to release about a million free trash bags for adequate waste collection during this year’s Sallah festival.