Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has urged Nigerians to imbibe the lessons of sacrifice made by the Prophet Ibrahim and work for the unity of the nation as they celebrate Sallah.

Sanwo-Olu in his Sallah message on Saturday, said that “Eid al-Adha” became a symbolic event in the history of mankind, given the bounty of rewards that followed the patience and perseverance of Prophet Ibrahim, who held on tenaciously to his faith in God despite being afflicted.

The governor urged Nigerians to draw lessons from the prophet’s examples by eschewing tendencies that could severe the unity and stability in the country.

Sanwo-Olu said: “I join Muslim faithful across the country to share in the felicity of the Eid al-Adha, which comes with significant lessons for mankind”.

“This symbolic Islamic festival is a constant reminder to us that, there will always be great rewards when we have abiding faith and patience in trying periods; persistence in prayers and tenacity in our belief. It also reminds us of the sacrifice we are expected to make not only for the purpose of spiritual fulfillment, but also for the progress of mankind and development of our society.

“Development and progress can only be achieved in an atmosphere in which unity, peace and mutual respect reign supreme. We must, therefore, eschew tendencies that can further divide us as a people.”

He advised Nigerians to support the government’s efforts in creating a nation that would work for all, adding that the need to keep Nigeria on the path of development was a collective responsibility of all citizens.

“As a government, we are playing our part to ensure public resources are properly channeled to the benefit of the citizens. However, the citizens must ensure these energies are not wasted by shunning actions that can make these efforts difficult”.

“This is the sacrifice we must collectively make to ensure our efforts to build a prosperous nation are not in vain. On behalf of my family and the Government of Lagos State, I wish all Muslims a happy and peaceful Eid al-Adha celebration,” he said. (NAN)