President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday promised Nigerians that he would never surrender to corruption.
He said fighting corruption was a task that must be done in order to protect the larger interests of the ordinary Nigerians whom he said were the worst victims of diseases, poverty, malnutrition and other afflictions.
Buhari spoke in his Eid-el Kabir message to Nigerians made available to journalists by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu.
The President said surrendering to corruption was not an option because it destroyed society and progress of nations.
“Even if some people hate you for fighting corruption, you should not chicken out from the task as a leader because doing so is a betrayal of public trust,” he said.
The President explained that religion was a major factor in influencing human behaviour towards good conduct and action.
He, however, regretted that selfishness, greed and corruption had overwhelmed human beings to the extent that people abandoned their religious beliefs in pursuit of their greed.
On the current economic challenges facing Nigerians, the President reassured Nigerians that such were temporary because the welfare of the people was the main thrust of the change agenda of his administration.
To buttress this point, Buhari cited the many initiatives unfolded by the administration under the Social Investment Programme among which was the recent decision to distribute recovered looted funds to the poor against the past practices of re-looting such funds by some people in authority.
Buhari urged Nigerians to rise above personal, group, sectarian and other interests, and promote harmony and tolerance in dealing with one another at all times.
He urged all Muslims to use the Eid-el Kabir for sober reflection and self-examination, and strive to be good ambassadors of their religion by upholding high moral values
He reminded Muslims that this occasion of Eid-ul-Adha is a remembrance of the submission of Prophet Ibrahim Allaihis-Salam to Allah, his Creator, by which he taught the world the value of sacrifice in relating with one another, and when it comes to nation-building.
“We must sacrifice for others and remember always those who are less fortunate than ourselves,” the President declared.
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