Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, says the fasting periods of both Christians and Muslims falling at the same time is a direct message from God to Nigerians.
She stated this at the interfaith breaking of fast which she held for women from across all sectors.
The First Lady explained that the message is a strong one about harmonious living and unity.
“Jesus said in the Bible that He did not come to abolish the law but the laws Moses brought down from the mountain can be summarised into two; love God and love one another.” she quoted.
The First Lady drew from her nearly four-decade interfaith marriage to President Bola Tinubu to preach religious harmony.
She highlighted personal peaceful coexistence as a counter to insecurity and division, urging service with “excellence, compassion, and integrity.”
“Today, like I said, is indeed a great day. It is a day that God only made for us to gather together, and for women, first, from different backgrounds. Since the Ramadan fast was announced, and the Lenten season began together, it was like God was speaking to us as a nation.
“Recently, we know a lot of things have been going on and people are trying to target towards our religious beliefs And we Nigerians, we know that most of the time that is not the case.
“Some of us are married to men of different faith, and we lived together among us for many years. Me, almost 40 years and I can tell you, I cannot remember when both of us raised our voices at each other.
“Maybe not more than twice in the 40 years, I can tell you that. So we’ve been quite mature and respectful about that and I believe that’s the best way to live together,” Mrs Tinubu stressed.
Exemplary Lives
Speaking on the theme of the lecture at the interfaith breaking of fast, the First Lady challenged women on their public roles, saying:
“Most women in this room, either you have your own office, or your husband is in the public office. You as the wife have a role to play,” she said.
Mentorship
The wife of the President urged Nigerians to drop “entitlement” mentality as she stressed the need to mentor youths.
“We all have a lot of work to do, especially for the young people. You have to mentor them. The old school is still modern so, we have the real intelligence to pass on to the next generation,” she said.
A Director with the National Open University of Nigeria, Professor Ganiyat Adesina-Uthman, gave an insight into the “crisis of trust” in public office, stressing that integrity was non-negotiable.
Bishop Sally Chinebu of Dominion Church International echoed the theme biblically.
He said: “If we look at the life of our ultimate example, Jesus Christ, think of these three factors, excellence, compassion and entireness. When women get up, they create an unprecedented force. Excellence is not decided as a profession and with the excellence of Christ. Excellence without compassion, is cold.
The event was attended by former First Lady of Nigeria, Patience Jonathan, and wife of the Vice President, Hajia Nana Shettima, among others.