President Muhammadu Buhari on
Tuesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, received Vice President Yemi Osinbajo
alongside service chiefs and an FCT delegation, who paid him the traditional
Sallah homage.
Muslims worldwide are celebrating
Eid-el-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, a month of fasting and prayer.
Buhari, while receiving the
guests, said he was pleased with the activities of the vice president and urged
him not to relent despite the challenges.
“I want to appreciate the number
two man of the country (Osinbajo) because he knows what we are going through
very quietly; I am very pleased that you came with this very powerful
constituency.
“I appeal to you to remain
exemplary so that those under you will know that the country is doing very
well.
“If you break down and complain,
the impact will reverberate all over and then government will not be popular
and whatever efforts we are making will not be appreciated,’’ he said.
Buhari, on a lighter note, told
Sen, Philip Aduda, who was part of the FCT delegation, that his constituency
did not vote for him (Buahri) in last presidential election.
He said, however, that FCT was a
strategic part of Nigeria and that securing it would be taken seriously by his
administration.
Buhari took the guests down the
memory lane of his `long journey’ to Presidency from 2003, 2007, 2011 to 2015,
saying they were interesting political developments that enabled him to visit
all the 774 local governments in the country.
He thanked his supporters for
their steadfastness and pledged to give his best in service to the country
despite the odds.
On his part, Osinbajo
congratulated the president on the solemn occasion that marked the end of the
Ramadan.
According to the vice president,
God has been extremely good to the president and to the government.
“I believe that our country is at
a threshold of the breakthrough that we have been praying for and hoping for
all these many years. And this is why many challenges are going on.
“ Challenges around security,
religion, people who are stoking up ambers of lagoon, religious grievance and
ethnic divisions and all that.
“But this gathering is one of
those gatherings that we are at liberty, political leadership, religious
leadership to demonstrate to our people that this country is a country of one
people, the Nigerian people.
“They may be different in their
faith, ethnicity but we are one people? We are one and united people.
“I want to commend all our
leaders, who are here for making this tradition, that we will come together –
Christians, Muslims, and people of different faith to demonstrate that this
country is a united country; and that those who will want to stoke up embers or
division we will not allow them to do so.
“So, I want to urge all our
leaders here that we must not allow the rhetoric of religion to supersede the
rhetoric of unity; we must also speak up; we must seek ways that will unite our
country.’’
Speaking, Mr Christian Oha,
Permanent Secretary, FCT, congratulated Buhari for the success of his
inauguration which marked the beginning of his second term in office.
“We pray that almighty in his
infinite goodness and mercy, continue to grant you good health and wisdom as
you steer our country back to the path of social harmony, security and economic
recovery.
“The people of the FCT stand
solidly behind you as you begin this task and pledge our support and
cooperation in the coming years ahead.
“We do this sir, because we are a
grateful people. Over the last four years, the FCT has benefited immensely from
your divinely inspired leadership;
“We have enjoyed peace and the
social intervention programmes have filled the gaps in our educational system
and provided succor for thousands of our people.
“We in the FCT will continue to
do our part to ensure that you succeed in your second term in office starting
of course with first celebration of our Democracy Day on June 12.
“Our people have been mobilised
to be exceptional hosts to the hundreds of foreign guests who we know will
honour the invitation to be here and felicitate with us,’’ he said.
Among the guests were Prof. Shehu
Umar Galadanci, Murshid Abuja Central Mosque, former governor of Imo State,
Rochas Okorocha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha,
Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin
and Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai.
Others were Chief of Naval Staff,
Vice Adm. Ibok-Ete Ibas and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar,
the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, the National Security Adviser,
Babagana Monguno, and the Director General of Department for State Service
(DSS), Yusuf Magaji Bichi, Civil Defence FCT Commandant
More so, the Permanent Secretary,
State House, Jalal Arabi, former Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu and
CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele were in attendance.
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