Gov. Peter Mbah of Enugu State on Wednesday paid a visit to the Muslim community in the state to celebrate the Eid-el-Kabir festival with them.
Mbah, who visited the Islamic Centre, Uwani and Central Mosque, Owerri Road, Enugu, promised to carry them along in his administration.
Describing Enugu as a foremost cosmopolitan city in Nigeria, Mbah said, “You are an integral part of us. When you are celebrating, we are celebrating, and when you are in pains, we are also in pains because in Enugu State, we are one people.
“You will see in Enugu people from the North, West, Middle Belt, and the Niger Delta that the umbilical cords of their great grandparents were buried in our soil.
“So, as we are getting ready to constitute our government, you can be sure that you are all going to feel a sense of belonging and being part of this government.”
Mbah reiterated that the ban on Monday sit-at-home had come to stay because it was not in the character of the Igbo people, whom he described as highly industrious and enterprising.
He commended the Muslim, Northern, Yoruba, and other ethnic communities in Enugu for their support during the campaigns and their maximum cooperation with his administration, especially in the war against insecurity.
The Governor promised the immediate renovation of the primary and secondary schools at the Islamic Centre, Uwani, Enugu, to ensure that the students attended schools in a safe and conducive environment.
Speaking earlier, the leaders of the Muslim community in the state, said they were already feeling the impacts of the new administration in the areas of security, sanitation, infrastructure and social services.
A Muslim leader, Alhaji Haruna Suleiman, said, “Everybody you can see here is Igbo because we were born here, our investments are here, and we will be buried here because Enugu State is our home.
“We are aware of your efforts to restore water supply, which we have already started feeling the impact because we have a booster station here and your people have been coming here to fix one thing or the other.
“So, we are sure that in no distant time, we will get portable drinking water across Enugu city.
“Again, we have never heard or seen anything like shooting or killing since you assumed your seat in Enugu. The tension has come down because of the way you have been managing security.”
Also speaking, another Muslim leader, Alhaji Yusuf Abubabar Sambo, described Enugu State as a gateway, stressing that the efforts to end Monday sit-at-home was already yielding economic results beyond the state.
“I want to tell you that you did not only unlock the economy of Enugu State, but you also unlocked the economy of the Northern community, as our brothers, who are traders can now move their goods from the Northern parts of Nigeria to the Southern part,” he stated.