Media practitioners and other managers of information have been tasked to promote national unity at all times with a view to engendering peaceful coexistence.
Speaking in Ilorin, Kwara state at the weekend during the grand finale of 2017 national Qur’an recitation competition, Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki said all the major religions in the country preach fairness, equality and justice which are all vital to meaningful societal development.
Dr Saraki who observed that both leaders and followers have complementary roles to play in fulfilling the social contract of modern democracy, stressed that the country will be a better place to stay in adherents can follow divine injunctions as contained in the two holy books.
The Senate President who also seized the occasion to call on Nigerians to pray for speedy recovery for President Muhammadu Buhari implored religious leaders to preach the gospel of zero tolerance to corruption at all times so that ongoing anti graft crusade can be a huge success.
Earlier the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Saad Abubakar the third remarked that the similarities among all Abrahamic faiths are much more than their negligible differences and therefore charged religious leaders to see themselves as ambassadors of peace and pragmatic character rebirth.
Also, the Emir of Ilorin, His Royal Highness Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari while noting that the hosting of the Qur’an recitation competition was symbolic to the government and people of Kwara state explained that 2017 marks the golden jubilee since the creation of the state in 1967 and bicentennial commemoration of the establishment of the Islamic dynasty in Ilorin by Sheikh Solihu bin Jan’taa popularly known as Alfa Alimi .
The 2017 national Quranic recitation competition is the 31st in the series of the annual intellectual contest and featured six major categories for both male and female .Faizol Muhammad Awwal of Zamfara state emerged the overall winner for the males just as Ai’sha Musa Galle was adjudged the overall winner among the females.
Both of them who are to represent Nigeria at the International Qur’an recitation competition in Saudi Arabia later this year also smiled home with numerous prizes and financial rewards even as the other participants equally won different laurels including scholarship at any university of choice in the country.
Study @ Achievers University
