Muslims resident in Cross River State, southern Nigeria have been urged to uphold justice, equity and unity as they join the Ummah to celebrate the 2025 Eid-El-Kabir.
The Imam of the Calabar Central Mosque, Imam Abdulhafeez Akere in a message delivered during the sallah prayers held at the Mary Slessor unity park, harped on the significance of the celebration.
Imam Akere said, “this is special for Muslims all over the world. Eid-El-Kabir is celebrated to commemorate the sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim also known as Abraham to the Almighty and that is why we came to the Eid prayer ground to pray and after the prayers, go back to sacrifice the ram we bought.
“The sacrifice here is not the meat rather it means a Muslim must be ready to sacrifice the time, wealth, life for the sake of the religion, society and country. If not for the sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim, we will not be here today. It means that whatever we do today would always reflect on the future,” he stated.
Speaking further, the Imam advised Nigerians to strive for justice, fairness, equity, unity and peace above all else stressing “we should be equitable and just when dealing with our brothers. We should not deal with people because they are Muslims or Christians rather we should relate with them because we are human beings.”
Law abiding
In the same vein, the Special Adviser on Religious Matter to Governor Bassey Otu, Apostle Frank Umo, was at one of the prayer ground on behalf of the State, commended Muslims for being law abiding, peaceful and strong support to the state government.
Apostle Umo, who is also the Lead Pastor of Shalom Church International, said, “on behalf of the Governor of Cross River State, I celebrate with the Muslims in this festival of sacrifice. Through my office, the state government was able to give them the sacrifice needed for the sacrifice and that is why they are all happy.”
Umo explained that the governor also extended the Sallah gifts to Muslim communities in other local government areas, saying “we appreciate our Muslim brothers for being law abiding and because they have businesses here, they are contributing to the economic growth of the state. We do not have any problems with the Muslim community.”
Commenting on the peaceful coexistence between the Muslim communities and people of Cross River State as opposed to the insecurity in other parts of Nigeria, he said, “I am a pastor and I believe that the challenge is due to lack of information. People, before now, see a Muslim person as an agent for insurgency. But, we are changing that narrative.
“The Muslims here are very security conscious and would not condone any agent of violence in their community. Here in Cross River State, Christians and Muslims reside in peace,” he noted.
Thriving sales
In a related development, a brief visit to the ram market in Calabar metropolis revealed that traders and buyers were in high spirits as groups of persons and in some instances families stopped by to convey already paid for livestock from the different stalls.
A spokesperson for the traders, who is the Cross River State chapter chairman of Motor Dealers Association, Adamu Baba, said “this year sales has been good compared to last year. People seem to have more purchasing power this time and you can see, the stalls are nearly empty. I also appreciate our Sweet Prince, Governor Bassey Otu for celebrating Sallah with us.”
Muslim pilgrims
Meanwhile, a media veteran and tourism consultant, Ukpai Ukpai has commended Governor Bassey Otu for continuing the tradition of his predecessors to support Muslims in Cross River State on pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.
Ukpai said, “I commend Governor Otu for sponsoring Cross River pilgrims to Mecca. They are marketing the THINK CROSS RIVER brand to the World. This is a good one from the Cross River contingents and the governor made it possible for Cross River State to be showcased in Mecca for the world to see.”
After the prayers, families, youths and children decided to visit tourists locations within Calabar for a bit of photography and sightseeing.
Lateefah Ibrahim