The Muslim Public Affairs Centre, MPAC, congratulates all Muslims on this auspicious celebration of the Festival of Feast, Eid-El-Fitr, which commemorates the end of a whole month of fasting in Ramadan and wishes you all a blessed Eid marked by faith, prosperity and joy.

Our joy and gratitude to Allah are without measure, when we reflect on the past threats to peace and security in our country, we see the great potential for reconciliation, development and prosperity.

As we celebrate the Eid-el-Fitr, Nigerians must call to mind the objectives of the celebration, which is reminding ourselves of the virtue of piety, sacrifice, tolerance, compassion and patience. In the fortitude and lessons of the past month, we have excellent testimony on how to achieve greater compensation for past losses and missed opportunities.

Our nation has suffered from lack of appreciation of the gifts of God, bad leadership, the wastefulness of our
resources, epic corruption of morality, compromise of human rights and dignity, and savagery in the spirit of spreading mischief, fear and harm.

In his eid message, the Executive Chairman of MPAC, Disu Kamor, said: “Absence of good governance which is the hallmark of security and development has denied Nigeria and Nigerians their rightful and respectable position in the global community. It is only when Nigerians are committed to the implementation of the overall reform agenda in the country that we can begin to recover our lost grounds.

Nigerians deserve peace and security in their homes and communities. Nigeria deserves a buoyant economy, full employment, a responsive public service sector, an active and complimentary private sector, a responsible citizenry and civil society, a judicial system that is reliable and a government that is fair and just to all, at all times.

It is when we have these as a nation that we can tell a good story about ourselves and demand our rightful place, and command global respect.”

May Allah grant us the blessings of visionary leaders that LOVE US AND FEAR HIM. Leaders who will not engage in treachery and betrayal and who by their personal examples will become role models for others to follow. It is only on the simple formula of love of the citizens and fear of God that a new age can rise in Nigeria, and we can bid a final goodbye to an existence plagued by corruption, savagery, intolerance, immorality, barbarism, plundering, slaughtering, insecurity and terrorism.”

Muslims in particular have a greater responsibility to bring qualitative change in the life of the country. MPAC therefore uses this unique opportunity of eid to call on all Muslims to drive and support far-reaching reform initiatives and actively engage government and other stakeholders on the way forward for Nigeria.

It is our belief that when structures and institutions Islam provides in correcting injustice and providing welfare for the citizens are fully incorporated into our public life, tremendous and qualitative change will be witnessed in the country.

On the international scene, sadly, there is increased transgression and violence against innocent and defenceless peoples based on the ideology of colonialism, terrible cruelty and murder. Palestine remains within the grips of Israeli colonizers and the terror of the Zionist regime targeting ordinary Palestinians increased during the month of Ramadan, turning the sacred Masjid al Aqsa into a dreadful place. There is no justification for a people to be held hostage to an international conspiracy of terrorism and denied independence, human rights and freedom. It is time for Palestine to be free.

As MPAC prays for justice, peace, progress and prosperity in Nigeria, we once again congratulate all Nigerians on the auspicious celebration of Eid-el-Fitr 1443 AH/2022, saying “Eid Mubarak”.