Ilorin the Kwara State capital was a beehive of activities on Monday when about 50 Islamic clerics converged to offer prayers for the Kwara Central Senatorial Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, during the 2015 election, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq.
The clerics made up of 10 from each of the five local government of Ilorin emirate made up of Ilorin, South, Ilorin East, Ilorin West, Asa and Moro LGAs were led in the prayers and sermon by Sheikh Farouq Babatunde (Soibu I Bayan).
The prayer was to commemorate the birthday of Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq. The cleric prayed for long life and prosperity for the celebrant.
The prayer was organized by Abdulrazaq Solidarity Movement, a political platform of Abdulrahman on which he contested the 2011 senatorial election against the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Dr. Bukola Saraki.
Abdulrazaq who spoke through his Private Personal Assistant, Lateef Adebayo note that many Nigerians were suffering.
He also said there were many challenges plaguing the nation and pleaded with President Muhammadu Buhari to consider the advise of ex -resident, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and the advise of the military dictator/President General Ibrahim Babangida (retd).
The two retired generals and president had in their recent publications drew attention to multiple developmental challenges confronting Nigeria.
He urged Buhari to advise people to stop castigating the former rulers for offering their views, adding that he should rather reflect on their message.
Abdulrazaq said Buhari should address the issues raised by the former leaders and pleaded with him to ensure that the former leaders were not castigated or maligned over their positions and pieces of advise.
He said, “We have to look at the message not the messenger of the message. The advice given by President Obasanjo and former military ruler, General IBB to President Buhari are very good pieces of advice. I want President Buhari to listen and look at the letters
written to him holistically and work on that letter rather than allowing people to attack the personalities of those who wrote the letters.
“On restructuring, there is a problem in Nigeria , these restructuring issue has always been coming up. During the time of President Jonathan, there was a confab held in Nigeria. It agreed on how to restructure Nigeria. Also during the period of the late military rule, Gen Sanni Abacha, that was when the creation of geopolitical zone came up. It was based on restructuring. If you decentralize governance in Nigeria, restructuring will always come up. That will
make development or bring develop nearer to each of the state which are the components that make up Nigeria.
“Nigeria is blessed and endowed with so many natural resources, if you allow people to control the resources they have, they will bring development to their states.”
He added, “On issue of economy: The problem did not start during the period of President Muhammadu Buahri. This is a problem that has always been there. It manifested greatly to people now that poverty is written all over people’s faces. If you see the prices of petrol right
from Buhari, the first coming during General Sanni Abacha. It also was there during IBB period. The price of per litre of petrol was below N1 but at a time, it started skyrocketing.
“During the period of Obasanjo’s first coming of Obasa, it moved from N25 to N40 then to N70. When Musa Yar Adua came, it was reduced to N65, from Yar Adua to Dr. Goodluck Jonathan it went up to N87.
There was no government that labour attacked more than IBB government. Buhari has the liberty and encouragement of the people, everybody accepted his promises because they know that he is Mr. Integrity. Based on that integrity, things are really falling apart in
Governance.
“Whether Buhari should contest or not, that should be his prerogative decision.”
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