Senator Osita Izunaso has appealed to Muslims in Imo State to always pray for the continued unity of Nigerians and shun any attempt to cause disaffection.
LEADERSHIP reports that there are indigenous Muslims from Oguta, Mbaise, and other local government areas of Imo State.
Izunaso, who represents the Imo West (Orlu) senatorial zone, made the disclosure when he hosted Imo Muslims to a Sallah lunch in his Owerri residence yesterday.
Represented by his senior legislative aide on constituency affairs, Barrister Jude Oduoma, Izunaso said the Sallah lunch fostered unity amongst his constituents in Imo State and collaboration with the Muslim community.
Oduoma said, “We are here to celebrate with our Muslim brothers and sisters from the Orlu zone and to foster peace and unity.
“Senator Osita Izunaso as a detribalised Nigerian, is hosting this Sallah lunch for the second time, to rejoice with the Imo indigenous Muslim communities just as he celebrated with the Christian community. He prays that this peace will spread across all the state”, Oduoma explained.
On his part, the leader of the Imo-Muslim community, who doubles as the traditional ruler of Umuofor in the Oguta local government area of Imo State, Eze Abdulfattah Emetuma, said the event, which is the second time, was laudable and encouraging.
According to him, it was to show unity. The Chief Imam of Owerri Central Mosque said, “This event connotes that we all, irrespective of our religion, are one, whether Christians or Muslims. We all are children of Abraham, and this is good, and we thank Senator Izunaso for hosting this.”
Further, he called on northern Muslims to shun any device intended to cause friction or disunity following the killing of 16 hunters in Edo State.
He said, “Let me seize this opportunity to appeal to our people to shun any ethno-religious crisis. Nigerians must not succumb to the plans of the people trying to divide us.
“On the killing of hunters in Edo State, let me say that the killings are not the plan of the entire south against the north, just like such incidents in the north are not a collective northern agenda but a few.
“Nigeria is a source of worry for some people who are determined to make us divide, and we must continue to resist their plans to destabilise us. We are good people and must continue to preach love and unity for each other always,” the Chief Imam of Owerri Central Mosque said.
