President John Agyekum Kufuor has called on Ghanaian Muslims to shun those bent on using undue political influence to destroy the peace and harmony the nation is enjoying.

He told Muslims at the national celebration of the Eid-Ul-Adha, the feast of sacrifice, in Accra on Saturday to be wary of people who through hypocrisy, would try to influence them and create division in the society.

Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama and the wife Rahamatu and Hajia Alima Mahama, Minister of Women and Children's Affairs, were among the large congregation of Muslims at the forecourt of the Trade Fair Centre, La for the celebration.

President Kufuor said; "Ghana is acknowledged as the oasis of peace in the West African Sub-Region" and that a major contributing factor for this had been the happy and harmonious coexistence of religions.

He said it was, therefore, important for people of the different religious faiths to continue to cooperate in the pursuit of peace and to live in peace.

He told them that the Government had the best of intentions for the Muslim community and asked for their total support towards efforts at pulling the country out of poverty.

"Ghana is moving out of hard times. We are strong where we are now. If we work together and move together, we would be heading towards prosperity.

“Let us accept as a people, to appreciate the good things happening to our country and work together to sustain them", he said.

President Kufuor used the occasion to highlight the impending National Identification (ID) Programme and asked that no citizen of the country should feel threatened by the registration exercise.

He said the ID would make for easy governance and to enhance development and called on all communities to take part in the exercise.

Touching on Ghana's Golden Jubilee Celebration, President Kufuor enjoined the people to have a change of attitude towards environmental sanitation.

He said it should become part of their culture to do away with unsanitary conditions to convince the rest of the world that Ghana is indeed on the path of progress.

Sheikh Nuhu Sharabutu, the National Chief Imam, in his message to Ghanaian Muslims said as they celebrated the occasion of the Eid-Ul-Adha, they should not forget the plight of the needy, the less fortunate and the deprived in society.

He said beyond sharing of meat of sacrificed animals, they needed to show greater generosity to the poor and the socially disadvantaged.

Earlier in a welcoming address, Alhaji Gado Mohammed, a member of the Muslim Council of Elders, said the Muslim Community was grateful to the Government for the Sate Award given to the National Chief Imam.

The Chief Imam was awarded the Order of the Volta and this, he said, was an honour they were proud of.


From GNA