NAN-H-94
crises
Abuja, Dec. 8, 2016(NAN) The Amir (Head) of Muslim Jama’att of Nigeria, Dr Mashhud Fashola, on Thursday, blamed incessant religious crises in the country to selfishness and politicization of religion by some individuals.
He said this while addressing State House Press Corps after the group paid a courtesy visit to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo .
According to him religion has the objective of promoting righteousness and making the faithful to be kind-hearted.
He, however, noted that some persons had turned the faith into personal enterprises to fan division.
“Religion should unite us and make all of us loving, kind and accommodating.
“Religion teaches us to help our neighbours and to love, why are we then fighting?
“It means that we are being self-centred and have not submitted to the will of God of all creation.’’
He said that the only way a true faithful could attain the favours of God was to work at all times for the good of mankind “like Good Samaritan’’.
The cleric said anytime a faithful deviated from such injunction, he or she was working for own personal gains and not for the sake of God.
“God is God of all creations and He will love you when you love His creation and do good at all times.
“When you see people fighting on the basis of religion, they are only fighting for their own selfish interests,’’ he said.
Fashola noted that people were seeking for imaginary powers to serve themselves and not humanity noting that such persons were agents of the devil and not agents of God.
“Agents of God are kind-hearted and loving and they will never harm any creature of God,’’ he declared.
He said the visit was to pray for the government, express its views on national challenges and intimate the Vice President on the group’s activities.
He said It was also in commemoration of the group’s 100 years of existence in the country.
He said the visit was rewarding as Jama’at was now in a better position to defend the policies of government, having been enlightened by the Vice President.
He said the group had informed the Vice President of the complaints from the masses concerning the rising cost of foodstuff but expressed happiness with the actions being taken by the administration to address the problem.
He praised the administration’s policy on self- sufficiency in rice production but added that such policy should be extended to other food crops which could be grown in different parts of the country.
He said such policy would permanently stop food importation and create more jobs for the teeming youth.
Fashola urged Nigerians to be patient and persevere so that the current food crisis could be resolved once and for all.
“If the people do not see the high prices, it will not encourage them to go into agriculture.
“Eventually, there will be improved production in the country. But if you allow importation, it will discourage farmers.
“We are calling on people to persevere because eventually it will lead to agriculture development in the country,’’ he added.
Meanwhile, the National Defence College has presented a special award to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the State House, Abuja.
The Commandant of the College, Rear Admiral Sanmi Alade, said the award would be presented to the Vice President at the award dinner of the graduation ceremony of Course 24 of the college in August.
He said the award was mandated by the governing council of the college with the Minister of Defence as the Chair.
Alade said that the award was in recognition of Osinbajo’s contributions to the college, adding that the college was honoured by the lecture presented by Osinbajo during the course.
“We believe that was a special event and for that reason and subsequent things he is going to do for the college, the award was instituted and given to him,’’ the commandant said. (NAN)
DCU/HA
Edited by Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu