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Tag Eid-el-Kabir

Metro

Labour urges sober reflection as Muslims celebrate Eid-el Kabir

 

NLC

By Tosin Kolade

Abuja, Aug. 11, 2019 (NAN) As Muslims celebrate Eid-el Kabir, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has urged Nigerians to imbibe the lessons of the season and make sacrifices toward nation building.

Mr Ayuba Wabba, NLC president, in a statement on Sunday in Abuja, emphasised the need for love, humility, and sacrifice, saying that the attributes were crucial to healing Nigeria’s ills.

“As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to celebrate Eid-el Kabir, the NLC wishes to congratulate our Muslim faithful and remind everyone that the festival represents total obedience to Allah’s command, and ultimate sacrifice.

“It also symbolises love, through sharing, humility, peace and good neighbourliness.

“We do believe that this Eid-el Kabir has come at a time when great challenges, both economic and social, are threatening our common bond and values that hold us together.

“It therefore, offers us a great opportunity for deep reflection and rededication of our lives to nation building.

“We have no doubt that with love, humility and sacrifice, peace and healing shall return to our nation.

“In the light of this, we urge all Nigerians, and not just Muslims, to imbibe the spirit of Eid-el Kabir for a greater and better Nigeria,” the NLC said. (NAN)

TAK/VOE/ETS
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Edited by Vivian Emoni and Ephraims Sheyin
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Agriculture

Ram sellers bemoan low patronage, customers lament exorbitant prices

Ram sellers bemoan low patronage, customers lament exorbitant prices

By Mohammed Lawal
Rams
Zaria (Kaduna State), Aug. 9, 2019 (NAN) Barely two days to Eid-el-Kabir, ram sellers in Zaria, Kaduna State, are bemoaning low patronage, while some customers are lamenting over the exorbitant prices of rams.
A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) who visited different selling points in Zaria, reports that the ram traders were still hopeful of an improved sales before the Sallah day.
Alhaji AbdulMuminu Alhassan, the Sarkin Turken Sarkin Zazzau, told NAN at Kofar Doka, Zaria, that the level of patronage this year was very low compared to last year’s.
He attributed the low patronage to scarcity of funds in the hands of common people due to economic challenges.
Alhassan added that this year’s Eid-el-Kabir landed at the middle of the month when most faithful had spent their salaries to take care of their day-to-day problems.
He appealed to government at all levels to assist their people especially during important festive periods that fall at the middle of the month by paying half salary in advance.
He, however, said despite the economic situation some customers could still afford to buy the rams according to their financial capability.
The traditional ruler said with just N15,000 one could buy a ram to discharge the religious obligation, adding that small rams in the market cost about N15,000 while the biggest go for N120,000.
Alhassan however enjoined traders to be just and moderate in dealing with their customers to enable Muslims get the ram at relatively low prices.
Malam Aliyu Sani, a ram seller in Zaria city, attributed the low patronage to lack of vibrant economic activities in the country.
He urged Nigerians not to rely 100 per cent on white-collar-jobs, advising that they should also engage in petty businesses that are abound in their respective areas.
Sani said put the prices of the rams in that area at N25,000 to N90,000 depending on the size of the sacrificial animal.

Another ram seller at Tudun Wada, Malam Idris Ibrahim, called on prospective buyers not to panic, but should go to the selling points to find out the actual prices themselves instead of depending on rumour.
He said that the prices were not extremely high and they may be able to afford it, adding that with N20,000 to N22,000 one would be able to discharge his religious obligation of offering a ram.
A ram seller at Queen FM selling point also told NAN on anonymity that the patronage was generally very low compared to previous years.
He said the ram business was not as profitable as it used to be, saying that it is one of the reasons why many residents refused to engage in the business.
“Many have abandoned the business due to what is happening. This year, only those of us with large minds decided to try the business once again.
“Last year, many ram sellers had to take back their animals due to lack of patronage, however, we are hopeful this year will not be the same,” he said.
Meanwhile, some customers have decried the high cost of rams in most of the selling points, describing it as lack of contentment by the ram sellers.
Alhaji Aliyu Baban-Karfi, a customer, urged the traders to keep their prices moderate to give many people the opportunity to discharge their religious obligation.
Baban-Karfi however observed that many faithful do not buy ram early due to storage problem, saying that some people prefer to buy the ram on the Sallah day.
He noted the rams were very costly but hoped that the prices would gradually reduce, attributing the initial high cost in prices to payment of salaries at the end of the month.
Malam Mohammed Garba, a civil servant, said the prices of rams in some areas were above roof tops, saying many sellers are out to make huge profits at the expense of buyers.
“Many people are scared of going to the selling points because some of the sellers are just out to extort money from buyers.
“Some purchase the rams when the animals were very cheap only to come and triple the price at this festive period, this is not good for the society at all,” he said. (NAN)
KLM/EOB/MST
Edited by Edith Bolokor/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

General news

Eid el-Kabir: Chief Imam decries high level corruption, tasks Buhari

Eid el-Kabir: Chief Imam decries high level corruption, tasks Buhari

Corruption
By Temitope Salami
Ijebu-Ode (Ogun), Aug. 21, 2018 (NAN) The Chief Imam of Ijebu-Ode, Alhaji Mufutau Ayanbadejo, has decried the spate of corruption in the country, and urged  President Muhammadu Buhari not to relent in the anti-corruption war.
Ayanbadejo made the call while delivering his sermon at the Ijebu-Ode Eid Praying Ground on Tuesday in commemoration of the Eid-el-Kabir celebration.
He said it was worrisome that those perceived to have contributed to the menace of corruption were still walking free in spite of concrete evidence against them.

He added that capital punishment for corrupt practice or long jail terms for high profile personalities would serve as deterrent to others.
The cleric urged politicians to be truthful and accountable and not to fail those who entrusted them with their mandate.
Ayanbadejo also stressed the need for the
government to look inwards and initiate programmes and policies that would reduce the level of penury and hunger in the land.
He called on Muslims to live in peace with one another as the Holy Quran preaches. (NAN)
TDS/OU
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Edited by Obike Ukoh

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Entertainment

Ijebu Ode wearing festive look ahead of Eid-el-Kabir, Ojude-Oba festivals

Festivities

By Temitope Salami

Ijebu-Ode (Ogun), Aug. 20, 2018 (NAN) Few hours to the celebration of the Eid-el-Kabir and few days to the celebration of the annual “Ojude-Oba’’ Festival, scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 23, enthusiasm is at a fever-pitch in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun.

 

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that socioeconomic activities in Ijebu-Ode where the “Ojude-Oba’’ Festival is celebrated annually have continued to witnesses positive spikes as one enters the ancient town.

 

Both the indigenes as well as visitors, tourists and dealers in souvenirs have begun to arrive the state for the annual carnival-like “Ojude-Oba’’ Festival which holds on Aug.23 with the theme: Ojude-Oba: Celebration of Rich Cultural Heritage.

 

NAN reports that the “Ojude-Oba’’ Festival is an annual reunion of sons and daughters of Ijebu-Ode, their in-laws, and invited guests usually held two days after the Eid-el-Kabir celebration.

 

A correspondent of NAN who went round the town on Monday observed a beehive of activities by residents who had their rams and other livestock tied within their compounds for the celebrations of both festivals.

 

Also, it was observed that hotels in the town and its environs had been fully booked while operators of outdoor bars, tricycles, motorcycles and relaxation spots had begun to count their gains.

Ijebu-Ode, a town predominantly occupied by Muslims, comes alive every Eid-el-Kabir alongside the age-old “Ojude-Oba’’, which is celebrated to honour the Awujale of Ijebuland.

NAN also reports that several corporate organisations had displayed their advert billboards as a way of participating in the celebration of the two festivals.

 

Ishola Fatungase, a resident of the town and a paint dealer, said that they were looking forward to a memorable celebration of the “Ojude-Oba’’ Festival.

 

He, however, appealed to the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), in charge of power distribution in the area, to make the event memorable through uninterrupted power supply.

 

“The icing on the cake for us will be full-scale-power supply throughout the period of the sallah to make it lively for us as well as being able to preserve our drinks and consumables.

 

“For me as a Muslim, it is the only time of the year I get to see most of my  family members as they are  located in different parts of the country and outside the country,” he said.

 

Another respondent, Gbenga Otukoya, a civil servant, lamented the high cost of rams this year as compared to the same period last year.

 

“I just returned from Imowo Eleran market, where livestock is considerably sold cheaply. Yet, I could not afford the type of ram I wanted due to the high price.

 

“A medium-sized ram, sold last year for N60, 000 is now N85, 000 at the market, while cows sell for between N120, 000 and N180, 000 or even higher depending on the quality.

 

“A large ram is going for between N120, 000 and N150, 000.

 

“We are in a joyful mood as expected but the only downturn is that most people are not as buoyant financially to celebrate the sallah and Ojude-Oba as expected,” Otukoya said.

 

Mr Dare Odusanya, a car dealer based in Chicago, USA, said he arrived in the country two weeks ago to have ample time to savour the holiday mood in the town alongside his other family members.

 

“The high point for me apart from the sallah break is the Ojude-Oba festival which is celebrated with so much pomp and pageantry.

 

“The festival is colourful and unique as it’s a spectacle to behold given the magnitude of attractions and displays that grace the occasion.

 

“I strategically fix my vacation to correspond with this occasion and also invite my white friends to Nigeria just to grace the grandeur of the “Ojude-Oba’’ Festival,” Odusanya said.

 

The Chairman of the Ojude Oba Planning Committee, Otunba Wahab Osinusi had previously assured participants coming to witness it of maximum security and safety.

 

“The festival is not only about equestrian display, parade of culture and tradition, merry-making and funfair.

 

“It is also to boost commerce and trade in its entirety as commercial and trading activities are at their peak before, during and after the festival.

 

“All the facilities; hotels, restaurants, artisans, craftsmen, transporters, professionals, market men and women, among others are fully engaged with several multiplier corporate effects,” Osinusi said.

 

He assured intending visitors and guests coming for the event of adequate medical services, security and traffic management saying all security agencies were working assiduously to ensure a hitch free celebration.

 

Several hundreds of thousands of people including visitors and guests from diverse cultures and nationalities are expected to grace the 2018 edition of the Ojude-Oba Festival that began over 100 years ago. (NAN)

 

TDS/PAD
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Edited by Peter Dada

 

 

 

 

 

 

General news

Fulfill promises to Nigerians, Awujale urges political office holders

NAN-H-42
Promises
By Temitope Salami
Ijebu-Ode (Ogun), Sept. 12, 2016 (NAN) The Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, has urged political office holders in all tiers of government not to renege on their promises to Nigerians.

He made the plea in his goodwill message to Muslim faithful during the Eid-el-Kabir prayer held on Monday in Ijebu-Ode.

According to the monarch, political office holders should endeavour to redeem their electoral promises to the electorate to build trust and foster unity.

He advised leaders to remain accountable, especially in the use of public funds, and to also create solutions to youth unemployment.

“Education, employment and infrastructural development remain key toward enabling the rapid development of our economy.

“Politicians, who serve uprightly and diligently, should expect that their services would bring them rewards both on earth and afterlife.

“I pray God to continue to be with our leaders and guide them in making the right decisions while discharging their duties,” Adetona said.

The monarch further appealed to the Ogun government to speed up completion of road projects in Ijebu-Ode and promptly pick-up of refuse to minimise the risks of health hazards.

Similarly, the Chief Imam of Ijebu-Ode, Alhaji Abdulrasak Salaudeen, in his message, urged Nigerian leaders to serve with the fear of God and be sensitive to the plight of the people.

Salaudeen also urged the Federal Government not to relent in its efforts to rid the nation of terrorism, stem the tide of corruption and tackle the recession facing the country. (NAN)
TDS/OJO
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(Edited and controlled by Mufutau Ojo)