Nigerians must unite to survive as a nation – Lagos deputy governor

Lagos State deputy governor, Obafemi Hamzat says Nigerians, irrespective of tribe or religion must come together in order to survive as a nation.

Hamzat made the assertion at the annual public Ramadan lecture of the state council of Ansar-ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, held at Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos on Sunday.

The deputy governor noted that there must be unity of purpose as a nation for development to take place. He urged Muslims and non-Muslims to live as one and shun all forms of enmity.

According to him, there can be no development in a country if there is insecurity.

“The biggest threat to humanity is when there is no peace of mind, therefore, l urge us all to live as one. There should be no issues of Fulani, Yoruba, Igbo, or Hausa, this must stop.

“For peace and development sake, we must unite as one, for united we stand and divided we fall,” adding that with unity, it would be easy to address the nation’s security challenges.

In his goodwill message, chairman, Lagos State Council of Ansar-ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, Abd’Rahman Salaudeen urged Muslims to seize the opportunity of Ramadan to get closer to Allah and practice godliness toward one another.

Salaudeen said Ramadan was a month of favour, blessing and exchange of pleasantries as well as good wishes.

“By fasting, we are continually reminded of our trait and dependence upon the divine, thus leading us to humility, reverence, piety and selflessness.

“We develop the holy qualities of empathy and compassion, becoming more aware of our intrinsic connection and oneness as human beings, regardless of borders or labels that create differences,” he said.

Sheik Abdur-Rahman Ahmad, the national missioner, Ansar-ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, in his lecture on “insecurity: the impact on socio-economic development of the nation”, urged the government to implement the laws on insecurity as it affects development.

According to the missioner, there can’t be security where there is lawlessness.

“Insecurity is a major challenge bedeviling the country and must be tackled before it becomes a national disaster. Nigeria is blessed with a lot of natural resources, human capital development but all these are taken for granted,” he said.