Shettima urges unity, compassion in shared Ramadan-Lent season

Abdullateef Fowewe

Vice President Kashim Shettima has called on Nigerians to harness the overlapping observance of Ramadan and the Christian Lenten season for national unity and practical compassion, describing it as a pivotal moment for spiritual renewal and collective nation-building.

In a statement issued Thursday by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Communications (Office of the Vice President), Shettima emphasised that the sacred periods demand more than rituals.

“Let us not only feed the hungry, but uplift the weary; not only give charity, but extend kindness; not only pray for peace, but work for justice. This is the true essence of Ramadan,” he said.

The Vice President portrayed Ramadan as “a journey of the soul and a time for deep reflection, for self-purification, and for embracing the true essence of Islam—peace, patience, sacrifice, and service to humanity.”

He paid tribute to Nigeria’s religious leaders as “the moral and spiritual compass of the nation,” crediting them with shaping the country’s ethical foundation amid these shared spiritual disciplines.

Shettima also urged prayers for national stability, stating, “We must strengthen the bonds that unite us and reject the forces that seek to divide us.”

He specifically requested divine guidance for President Bola Tinubu’s leadership, seeking “wisdom, strength, and foresight to pilot the affairs of our great nation.”