The Jama’atu Nasril Islam, JNI, led by the Sultan of Sokoto, Mohammed Sa’ad Abubakar III, has advised the Federal Government to see the agitation for secession in parts of the country as a wake-up call to their responsibility.
The JNI called on the government to be proactive in its measures taken to rekindle the spirit of patriotism in Nigerians as a way of tackling the ongoing challenges in the country.
Recall that there had been calls for Biafra in the South East, championed by such groups as the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB and the Movement for the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, as well as calls for the Oduduwa Republic led by some Yoruba groups in the South West.
Dr Khalid Aliyu, Secretary-General of the JNI, in a statement to mark the end of Ramadan, enjoined the government at all levels to prevail on Nigerians to unite for the common good of all.
The statement reads, ‘We also call on the government in respect to the perceived calls for the fragmentation of Nigeria from different quarters, to take the trend as a wake-up call to improve and or rejig the security network.’
Aliyu said there was a need for the government to tackle the nation’s economic hardship by addressing unemployment, so as to reinvent the spirit of patriotism for an indivisible Nigeria.
The JNI called on Muslims to sustain the virtuous acts learnt during Ramadan and remain disciplined and God-fearing in all their undertakings for the peaceful coexistence of the country.
The group reminded Muslims of the importance of giving out alms to the needy, especially before prayers, as that would assist those who do not have the means for a meal during the forthcoming Sallah festivity within the Muslim Ummah.
The JNI also advised Muslims to fast for six days in the month of Shawwal as recommended by Prophet Muhammad (SAW).
It called on those travelling for Sallah festivity to drive with caution and pray fervently, given the activities of kidnappers and other criminals in the country.
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK