Use Ramadan, Lent to strengthen national unity, Shettima urges Nigerians

Vice-President Kashim Shettima has urged Nigerians to use the concurrent observance of Ramadan and the Christian Lenten season to strengthen national unity and demonstrate practical compassion toward fellow citizens.

In a statement on Thursday, Shettima, described the period as an opportunity for both spiritual renewal and collective nation-building.

The vice-president, who said the sacred month required more than religious rituals, called for active engagements in addressing the nation’s seemingly formidable challenges.

” Let us not only feed the hungry, but uplift the weary; not only give charity, but extend kindness; not only pray for peace, but work for justice.

“This is the true essence of Ramadan,” he said.

Shettima also described Ramadan as “a journey of the soul and a time for deep reflection, for self-purification, and for embracing the true essence of Islam—peace, patience, sacrifice, and service to humanity.”

He paid glowing tributes to Nigeria’s religious leaders across faiths, whom he described as “the moral and spiritual compass of the nation. ”

Shettima also acknowledged their invaluable role in shaping the country’s ethical foundation during this period when both major religious communities are engaged in spiritual disciplines.

The vice-president called for prayers for national stability during the holy season, even as he said, “We must strengthen the bonds that unite us and reject the forces that seek to divide us.”

He also requested fervent prayers for President Bola Tinubu’s leadership, asking that divine guidance grant the president “wisdom, strength, and foresight to pilot the affairs of our great nation.”