Fashola Calls For Religious Harmony

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Sunday called on Muslims to co-habit in unity, love, patience and understanding with Nigerians of other faiths urging that these virtues must transcend the Ramadan period to guide their actions and behaviour towards their fellow men at all times.

Governor Fashola, who spoke at the 4th Alhaji Kafaru Oluwole Tinubu Memorial Ramadan Lecture at the LTV Blue Roof Multipurpose Hall, Agidingbi, also called for religious harmony among members of the two major faiths in the country – Islam and Christianity – saying even in the Middle East where the two religions originated, the people do not kill themselves over religious differences.

The Governor attributed the current wave of killings, especially in the Northern part of the country, to the antics of those he referred to as ‘bad people’ noting that there is nowhere in the country where adherents of the two Faiths could not be found.

Emphasizing that there is no religious war in Nigeria, Governor Fashola declared, “The two Faiths, Islam and Christianity, come from the same source – the Middle East. The adherents there do not kill themselves over religious differences; they live in harmony. But bad people here want to cause religious disharmony. There is nowhere in this country where you will not find the two religions.”

According to the Governor, those involved in the bloodletting in the northern part of the country must desist from the crime as, according to him, they are portraying Islam in bad light.

Governor Fashola also called on Lagosians who may have any useful information that could lead to the whereabouts of the missing Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Channel 10 presenter of the popular Ramadan Programme “Edide E Ji Saari”, Alhaji Razaq Gawat, to come forward in order to assist the security agencies in the effort to find him.

“I implore anyone who might be of help in locating him to call me or the Police” Governor Fashola pleaded adding, however, that the security agencies in the State are currently working hard to find the missing 50-year-old Gawat who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Gawat Communications.

The Governor prayed that the Almighty Allah would make it possible for Gawat to return in this Holy month of Ramadan adding, “We are doing our best and we are assuring you that very soon, our pains will turn to everlasting joy”.