One of the members of the National Democratic Congress aspiring to the lead the party to victory in the 2020 elections has called on Ghanaians to focus on unity and sacrifice as the country strives towards development.

In a statement to mark this year’s Eid-al-adha, Nurideen Iddrisu said the values of unity and sacrifice encapsulates every area of national life and called on all Ghanaians to always put the interest of the country above their own parochial interest.

Eid-al-adha is a festival of sacrifice for Muslims to mark Ibrahim’s (Abraham’s) willingness to obey the command of Allah to sacrifice his only son.

Nurideen Iddrisu stated the values underpinning the festival goes beyond religious considerations and cut across every facet of human life.

He charged all Ghanaians to obey the laws of the land, and commit to sacrifice for sake of the country’s development.

“Unity of purpose, obedience and sacrifice are thus the values underpinning this great festival and as Muslims observe the day, all Ghanaians, no matter the religion, gender, beliefs, age, and creed must observe these for the purpose of developing this country. Sacrifice is when leaders give their all, not for themselves but for the sake of the development of our dear country. Sacrifice is when contracts are signed policies are formulated and implemented without a single thought of what the individual will gain or whether or not it will win the next election,” the statement said.

The following is the full statement;

HAPPY EID-AL-ADHA TO All MUSLIMS

Once again another year has come. Happy Eid-al-adha to all my Muslim brothers and sisters in Ghana and across the world, particularly to our National Chief Imam Shaykh Dr Osman Nuhu Sharabutu. May Allah bless you all.  I congratulate you all for an occasion as important as this.

Eid-al-Adha is a great festival of sacrifice for all Muslims marked in remembrance of Ibrahim’s (Abraham’s) willingness to obey the command of Allah to sacrifice his only son but the lessons from it cut across religious boundaries, cultural beliefs or political considerations. That the festival is celebrated shortly after the pilgrimage to Hajj- a reunion of all Muslims in Mecca- is also another significant point which cannot escape attention.

Unity of purpose, obedience and sacrifice are thus the values underpinning this great festival and as Muslims observe the day, all Ghanaians, no matter the religion, gender, beliefs, age, and creed must observe these for the purpose of developing this country. Sacrifice is when leaders give their all, not for themselves but for the sake of the development of our dear country. Sacrifice is when contracts are signed policies are formulated and implemented without a single thought of what the individual will gain or whether or not it will win the next election. Sacrifice is when each one of us, come to the table with an enduring belief, a steadfast commitment to offer that which we have for the betterment of all and the next generation. We all win and grow together with selfless sacrifice and a great unity of purpose.

Above all obedience to our laws, and a jealous regard to due process must be a solemn commitment we cannot afford to compromise on as a nation. Our Muslim youth, like all others, must obey and play by the rules in our quest for development.

We are at a crucial stage of development in our dear country where we need to unite and empower the youth not just through education but with jobs. We can only do that when there is unity of purpose.

As we celebrate Eid-al-Adha, let us take time to reflect and let the love we have for our country help us come together to exude the values of sacrifice and unity in our quest to develop our dear country.

Happy Eid-al-Adha once again and may Allah Bless us all!