President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday said if the country must quickly recover from its numerous problems and start moving in a positive direction, Nigerians must be ready to display higher level of self-denial, sacrifice and patriotism.

Buhari said this in his Eid-el-Fitri message to Nigerians, a copy of which was made available to our correspondent.

He said a greater acceptance by Nigerians of Ramadan’s key lessons of self-denial and sacrifice would serve the country well. He said his administration was striving to overcome present challenges, undo the damage done by years of bad governance and accelerate the pace of national development.

The President said, “Reviewing our dire circumstances and the many missed opportunities of the past, some commentators and observers have said that this is Nigeria’s last chance to get its act together and finally begin to fulfil its God-given potential of greatness.

In his message, former Lagos State governor and National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, in his message, called on all Nigerians to be prepared to contribute to the realisation of the kind of change they want to happen.

“The change we desire, as promised by the APC, requires our collective effort to make it a reality. We must individually and collectively make sacrifices where necessary to help the APC leadership move Nigeria on the right path of development and growth,” he said.

Tinubu called on all Muslim faithful, who recently completed the 30-day fast, not to depart from the attitude of prayer, supplication and sacrifice for the country. While praising them for the discipline and purity of the last 30 days, Tinubu said he believed Allah has recognized their devotion and “will bless Nigeria and bring solutions to our problems.”

Senate President, Bukola Saraki, on Thursday asked Nigerians to offer special prayers for Nigerians living in the north-eastern part of the country who were being assailed by insurgents, known as Boko Haram.

The senate president also urged all Nigerians to continue to pray for the military which are engaged in the war against insurgents so that by the period of the next Ramadan, peace would have been totally restored to the whole of the North-East and other parts of Nigeria.

The Deputy Senate Leader, Ike Ekweremadu, in his statement, urged the Muslims to carry the lessons and virtues of love, tolerance and perseverance imbibed during the holy month of Ramadan into every aspect of their daily lives in order to move the nation forward.

He said, “We are blessed with religious and cultural orientations that teach us to place general good above personal interest; show love and kindness to all; live holy and to be our brother’s keeper.”

In his greetings, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar urged Muslims in the country to embrace the virtues of forgiveness and common understanding as they join counterparts across the world to celebrate the end of the Ramadan fasting season.

Atiku said that one of the basic components of Ramadan fasting is to seek the mercy of God in seeking forgiveness for our sins.

He said, “It thus becomes imperative for us as humans to extend the grace of forgiveness and common understanding to other human beings as well.”

The Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed; the Speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly, Dr. Ali Ahmad, and the Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Mr. Yomi Awoniyi, urged Nigerians, irrespective of their religious beliefs to imbibe the lessons of Ramadan.

They urged them to imbibe especially the virtues of peaceful co-existence, good neighbourliness,, patriotism and respect for the sanctity of human life.

Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, enjoined Muslims and indeed all Nigerians not to forget the gains and lessons of the Ramadan with the winding down of fasting and the celebration of the Eid-el-Fitri.

The governor, in his Sallah message in Ado-Ekiti on Thursday, said it would amount to a mere waste of time, resources and energy, if after engaging in a month-long fasting, people went back to old bad habits.

According to him, Ramadan teaches self-discipline, restraint, kindness, empathising with others, among several lessons which should form the way of life of any godly human being.

“It will amount to punishing oneself, if after abstaining from vices all this while, we fail to make use of the great lessons the month of Ramadan teaches us. There is no better time to allow all the great lessons of Ramadan to rule our daily conduct than now, given the challenges facing our great nation,” he said.

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has felicitated with the Muslim community in the state on the occasion of this year’s Eid-el-fitri celebration.

The governor, in a message sign by his Media and ICT Adviser, Tahav Agerzua, enjoined them to continue to pray for peace and stability for the country.

He particularly rejoiced over the peaceful co-existence between adherents of the various faiths in the state especially this year’s joint breaking of fast between Christians and Muslims.

Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, said Nigeria will overcome its current challenges and emerge a strong, united and prosperous nation.

In his Eid-el-Fitr message, signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Taiwo Adeoluwa, the governor urged Nigerians to continue to be disciplined, patriotic and be compassionate toward one another.

The statement read in part, “The attributes of self-discipline, compassion, brotherliness and patriotism exhibited during the holy month of Ramadan, if sustained, will bring within our reach and attainment, the dreams of our founding fathers for a united and prosperous nation.”

Gombe State Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Dankwambo, admonished citizens of the state to continue to exhibit the habits of tolerance and peaceful coexistence even after the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

In a Sallah goodwill message, Dankwambo urged Muslims and followers of other religions to continue to pray for peace, which he described as the catalyst for socio-economic development of the state and country.

He said, “Islam means peace and preaches tolerance and mutual respect amongst members of every community. I enjoin us to live in peace with one another irrespective of religious or ethnic differences.”