Eid-el-Fitri: Abiodun greets Muslims, tasks clerics, parents on teaching youths right values

By Bankole Taiwo, Abeokuta

Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has greeted Muslims on the celebration of Eid-el-Fitri, which signifies the end of fasting in the holy of Ramadan.

Governor Abiodun, who noted that fasting in the month of Ramadan is one of the pillars of Islamic faith, felicitated Muslims in the state for seeing the end of 30 days of spiritual exercise.

The Governor in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Kunle Somorin, on Sunday however, enjoined the Muslim faithful to continue to hold on to the piety and spiritual elevation attained during the fasting.

He noted that though the country is passing through some challenges, Muslims deserve to celebrate the end of the month of mercy and forgiveness.

Abiodun also urged the people to celebrate with moderation and ensure they share with the less privileged.

He further appealed to them to pray for peace in the country and the state, assuring that his administration will continue to create conducive atmosphere to enhance economic development and growth.

Reiterating his position during the Ramadan Lecture held on Friday, with the theme “Get Rich Quick Syndrome: Refocusing the Nigerian Youths for a greater future,” Gov. Abiodun said it is most unfortunate that youths of today prefer to cut corners to get things done quickly.

Abiodun noted that it is sad that the younger population are not ready to wait again, but to get rich quickly, saying that the society is now faced with myriad of challenges more than ever before.

“All issues of kidnapping, ritual killing, robbery and other prevailing vices in our society are alien to us, many of us parents have not lived up to our responsibility, we aren’t paying attention to our children, we do not ask them questions, we do not talk to them.

“Our youths these days want to cut corners to get things done and their is no society where you cut corners and you don’t have problems, we now have a younger population that are not ready to wait again, they want to get rich quick and thereby engage in many untoward activities, therefore, our society is now faced with a myriad of challenges more than ever before,” he said.

Gov. Abiodun disclosed that his administration is deeply committed to the successful implementation of building our future together agenda, revealing that the future his administration is building belongs to the youth.

Governor Abiodun while noting that it is important to carry along the youth, said that the population of youths in the country as at today is about 33per cent of the population of the country which stands at about Two hundred Million.

He added  that the youths constitute a salient and active majority of the society blessed with the energy needed to drive socio-economic development  of the country.

He explained further that he is convinced that any nation that deserves continuous development must find a way not only in creating a platform to voice the youth’s opinion on matters that concern them but also provide an enabling environment for the realisation of their potentials.

Abiodun called on government, parents, guardians, school administrators, religious leaders and other stakeholders to come together to chart a course to harness the raw energies of youths in the country towards positive enterprise.

He said that parents must take up their jobs as parents and appreciate the fact that they have the divine responsibility for the proper upbringing of children as the entire process of socialisation starts from the home.

The Governor while challenging parents and guardians to note that it is their responsibility to provide a solid foundation for the socialisation of their children before they go into the world, charged other critical stakeholders to continue to impress on the youth population the positive values and ideals of hard work, perseverance, commitment, believe and trust in God Almighty.

Abiodun who disclosed that the sermon from religious leaders tend to have a positive impact on the youths, charged Imams and Alfas to use the opportunity of their divine mandate by their sermons to preach and counsel youths to follow the dictates of the faith.

While wishing Muslims faithful a happy Eid-el-Fitri celebration, the governor reiterated his administration’s commitment to the provision and delivery of good governance to the people of the state.