Ramadan: Gani Adams calls for harmony in Yorubaland
The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yoruba land, Iba Gani Adams, has urged Yoruba leaders to embrace religious harmony in the land, adding the government should accommodate religious leaders and attend to ther needs.
Gani Adams made this call on Monday in Lagos while speaking at this year’s Ramadan Lecture.
He called on both Muslims and Christians to dwell together in peace and also celebrate together during festive periods.
Th Yoruba generalissimo maintained that Oodua People’s Congress is not a religious organisation, noting that he remained a Muslim and is currently fasting in the spirit of the holy month.
He sated further that the only one member of the body’s exco, who is also a Muslim, was not observing the fast due to health issue.
While criticizing what he described as commercialisation of religions by the new generation religious leaders and evangelists, Iba Adams lamented the recent religious crisis in Ile- Ife, expressing the need for government to engage religious leaders in fervent prayers for the land.
He expressed worries over why both God-sent Muslim and Christian clerics were used for selfish interest by individual leaders instead of the general benefit of Yorubaland.
“There should be religious harmony in Yoruba land. The government should accommodate the religious clerics, keep them in a place, give them special packages, take care of their children’s education so that their minds would not be distracted, but concentrate on praying for Yorubaland.
“But instead, the leaders are only engaging the clerics for their own selfish end. There is work for us to do in Yoruba land,” Iba Adams said.
“What we are doing here today is observing the holy month of Ramadan which is also meant for prayer.
“What we are doing now is Ramadan Lecture, we started 10 years ago,” he added.
Preaching, Sheik Jamiu Ajadi Sanusi, Amin Olorun, charged Muslim faithful to establish good relationship with God in worship, adding that they should not allow selfish interests to overwhelm them “to abandon God’s commandments”.
Sheik Sanusi, also called on Muslim faithful to adhere to the instructions of Allah and always speak the truth as commanded by Allah.
While explaining that people perceived OPC members to be pagans and non-believers, the cleric stated that the Ramadan lecture is an attempt to change the notion, saying that members of the Yoruba group led by Iba Adams had shown commitment to the moral beliefs of the organization.
“It is until we improve in our faith that we can be called faithful members of the Islamic world. I appeal to all members of the OPC to remain steadfast in their beliefs,” he said.
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