By Albert Futukpor, GNA
Tamale, May 02, GNA – Alhaji Shani Alhassan Saibu, Northern Regional Minister has encouraged residents of the region to always choose dialogue as a better option in resolving their grievances rather than using violence.
He also urged them to choose peace as a guiding principle to live by saying “We cannot compromise the peace we enjoy as a region.”
He stated this while addressing this year’s Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations at the Jubilee Park in Tamale on Monday to mark the end of Ramadan, a 30-day fasting period.
Hundreds of Muslims in the region gathered at the Jubilee Park to offer prayers to Allah as well as exchanged pleasantries with one another to mark the joyous occasion.
The month of Ramadan is considered the holiest month for Muslims globally, and a period where Muslims abstain from food and drink, and anything else, which leaves a stain on their faith.
The fasting month of Ramadan is one of the major pillars in Islam, and it is also considered a period of spiritual rejuvenation, and a phase where Muslims feel closest to the creator.
Alhaji Saibu commended Chiefs, Imams and religious leaders for doing their best to ensure that there was relative peace and stability in the region.
He, however, was not happy that during the Ramadan, there was an unfortunate incident, which resulted in loss of lives and property at Zakoli community in the Yendi Municipality as well as other disturbances within the Tamale Metropolis prior to Ramadan, which also created uproar.
Alhaji Saibu called on the youth to do their best in respecting and abiding by the rules and education given by the Chiefs, Imams, and religious leaders to bring about more development to the region.
He encouraged all in the region “To keep up with the comportment, humbleness, and self-discipline that the holy month preaches. Our religion Islam, means peace, and as such, we should learn to emulate that.”
Sheik Ahmed Abdul Salam, Northern Regional Chief Imam advised Muslims in the region not to go back to their rude habits but to continue to lead holy lives as they did during the past 30 days.
Sheik Salam emphasised that leading holy lives was not only a religious obligation but a requirement to promote peaceful coexistence and national development.
He, therefore, urged all to eschew vices and live peacefully with one another.
GNA
(The Daily Searchlight appears every day on the newsstands and is for sale 24 hours every day and all week on www.ghananewsstand.com. Visit www.ghananewsstand.com for a wide variety of newspapers published in Ghana and from across the world.)
