Eid-el-Fitr: Ohimegye Opanda, Administrator, Cleric, Others Preach Peace, Unity as Muslims in Umaisha Celebrate Sallah Amidst Royal Homage
….As Ohimegye Opanda Hails Gov. Sule for Restoring Peace in Toto LGA, Laments Rampant Illegal Deforestation
Muslim communities in Umaisha, Toto Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, on Friday joined their counterparts across the world in marking this year’s Eid-el-Fitr celebration, with the two-unit congregational prayers held peacefully at the Central Eid Ground drawing a large turnout that included the first-class traditional ruler and Chairman of the Toto LGA Traditional Council of Chiefs, the Ohimegye Opanda, HRH Alhaji Usman Abdullahi, alongside sons and daughters of the community who converged from near and far for the joyous occasion.
The Eid prayers were led by the Chief Imam of Umaisha and Khadi of the Sharia Court of Appeal in Lafia, Justice Muhammad Yahaya Usman, whose sermon dwelt extensively on the significance of the month-long Ramadan fast, urging Muslims to sustain its invaluable lessons beyond the holy month by supporting the less privileged to foster a true sense of belonging in society.
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He fervently prayed for enduring peace, unity, and progress not just in Umaisha and Toto LGA, but across Nasarawa State and Nigeria at large, while imploring leaders at all levels to succeed in their mandates for the greater good of the people.
The celebration proceeded hitch-free, underscoring the prevailing harmony in the area.
In the immediate aftermath of the prayers, the royal father, accompanied by his subjects, proceeded to the palace for the traditional Sallah homage, a time-honoured ritual that forms an integral part of the festival’s customs in Umaisha.
Addressing the gathering, HRH Alhaji Usman Abdullahi expressed profound gratitude to Almighty Allah for preserving their lives through the rigorous Ramadan fast and enabling them to witness the Sallah festivities.
He particularly rejoiced at the return of permanent peace to the community, praying for its sustenance, and admonished his people to make peace, unity, and development their top priorities while embracing the ethos of being their brothers’ keepers.
The monarch further reminded residents of the imperative to fully resume their primary occupations of farming, fishing, and trading, which had been disrupted by past insecurities.
The Ohimegye Opanda did not hold back in praising Governor Abdullahi Sule’s exemplary leadership and developmental strides across Nasarawa State, with special acclaim for His Excellency’s pivotal role in restoring lasting peace to Toto LGA, a feat that has rejuvenated community life.
However, he spoke bitterly and at length about the alarming rate of illegal deforestation ravaging the area under the guise of charcoal production, describing it as a grave threat to the people’s health and environment, and vowing that local authorities would deploy stringent measures to curb the menace decisively.
In his remarks, the Administrator of the area, Alhaji Salihu Kasim Hasheem, commended the Ohimegye Opanda for his outstanding leadership and reaffirmed his unwavering commitment to promoting peace, unity, and development at all times, urging residents to uphold brotherhood, shun discord, and vigorously pursue farming and trading for self-reliance.
Echoing similar sentiments, key stakeholders including the Santurakin Opanda, Alhaji Adamu Angulu, and Umar Abdulhamid, National Coordinator of ACReSAL, expressed profound appreciation for the peace currently enjoyed in Umaisha and called for its unyielding sustenance, while extending heartfelt wishes for a successful and fulfilling Sallah celebration to all.
