Eid-Fitri: Alaafin of Oyo stresses moral values as foundation for national development
The Oba Abimbola Owoade has warned that Nigeria’s social, economic, and political progress will remain in disarray without a solid moral foundation. In a message marking Eid-Fitri, conveyed through his
The Oba Abimbola Owoade has warned that Nigeria’s social, economic, and political progress will remain in disarray without a solid moral foundation.
In a message marking Eid-Fitri, conveyed through his Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye, the monarch expressed concern over a nation populated by intellectuals, skilled economists, and politicians who lack internalized moral values shaped by socio-cultural norms and religious teachings.
Oba Owoade noted that many of the challenges confronting the country stem from disregard for moral principles, which have contributed to setbacks in both private and public spheres.
He emphasized that sustainable national growth and development hinge on the cultivation of justice, moral integrity, responsibility, conscientiousness, devotion to duty, selflessness, probity, and honesty among both leaders and citizens.
He said, "Where are values like honesty, integrity, good neighbourliness, religious tolerance etc that once defined our society? Whatever also happened to being our brother’s keeper? Today, we’ve grown so numb and we are no longer shocked when people are slaughtered in a senseless terror campaign by some deranged individuals.
"As a result, we now have internally displaced people in the country, yet we carry on as if all is well. Everything has been reduced to politics."
Alaafin however advised Muslims to hold firmly to the directive, and in the process reaping Prophet Ibrahim’s permanent blessings.
According to him, "The lessons of this festival are that we must have absolute sustainable belief and total submission to the will of Almighty Allah, give charity and love our neighbours. What we require to overcome our own peculiar trials and earn similar monumental blessings permanently is total and unquestioning surrender to the will of Allah in the conduct of our daily affairs.
"The various threats to security, as well as the numerous forms of corruption bedevilling our society and the resultant implications of these for the economy are nothing but results of lack of consciousness of ultimate accountability to God, especially in the life to come.
"This is also true of the mistrust that hinders cordiality among our various ethnic and religious groups. What we need, as a nation, are sincere, concerted and sustained efforts towards propagating the kind of God-consciousness demonstrated by Prophet Ibrahim."
These, the monarch asserted, will surely guarantee for "our nation and for us as individuals a lasting solution to all the challenges confronting us and our life here on earth will be much more peaceful, trouble-free, while the hereafter eternally glorious."
