President Muhammadu Buhari has called on Nigerians to stop glorifying looters of national treasury, and treat them with disdain for bringing hardship to them.
He made the call while regretting that selfishness and greed had overcome the conscience of many such that they no longer showed any restraint in the pursuit of their greed.
The president made the remark in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, on the occasion of the muslim festival, Eid-el-Fitri, which holds Friday.
“It is impossible to separate morality from religion, and removing this connection encourages corrupt leaders and other exploiters to commit atrocities against the society.
“I always wonder why any true believer, be they politicians, civil servants or businessmen, would seek to make profits from the misfortunes of others,” the president said.
Congratulating muslims on the completion of Ramadan fast, the president stressed the importance of putting the virtues of Islam into practice beyond the fasting season.
He urged them to reflect on the importance of Ramadan in becoming good ambassadors of Islam at all times.
According to the president, “religion should be the moral compass for all believers in their public and personal lives.”
He added that “if people allow the teachings of their religions to influence their conducts, problems such as corruption, which diverts public funds to private pockets, would have been eliminated in the society.”
President Buhari enjoined religious leaders to always pray for peace and unity in the country and avoid making inflammatory utterances that endanger peace or promote conflicts.
The president also appealed to fellow citizens to forgive one another and embrace peace.
In this respect, President Buhari lauded the families of recipients of national honours for showing good examples to Nigerians and urged everyone to copy their good examples.
He thanked Nigerians for their patience and assured that their sacrifices would not be in vain, adding that reforming a country that was pushed into near decay on account of corruption comes with teething pains.
“But these pains are temporary, the APC administration which I am privileged to lead, is beholden to the ordinary Nigerians and will leave no stone unturned to make their security, welfare and happiness our priority,” the president further reassured.
