Former President Jerry Rawlings and his wife, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings have congratulated Muslims on the occasion of Eid ul-Adha – the Festival of Sacrifice, which falls today. In a statement issued in Accra on Friday the former First Couple also congratulated Muslims for the successful conclusion of the Hajj pilgrimage and called on the latest pilgrims to ensure that their renewed faith continues to impact positively on society. Former President Rawlings and his wife said Eid ul-Adha represented a significant Islamic ideal that should be appreciated and respected by everyone. “As we pray and offer gifts to our friends and neighbours let us remember the poor and destitute. Let us put a smile on their faces today and pray for better days for them. For those of us who can afford to adopt some of these unfortunate ones let us like Prophet Ibrahim, be ready to sacrifice by offering hope and succour to them,” they said. The former First Couple called on Muslims to pray for goodness and prosperity for Ghana and called on moderation during the celebration. They called on the youth to respect the sanctity of the occasion and celebrate solemnly. On the organisation of this year’s Hajj, former President Rawlings and Nana Konadu commended the government and the Hajj Council for ensuring that the process was devoid of the complications associated with it in the recent past. “We were impressed with the construction of the Hajj Village at the Elwak Stadium. We hope that the quality of organisation will not be allowed to deteriorate in subsequent years. Let us build on this year’s success and make other years’ even better,” they said. Visit Former President Rawlings’ blog site - http://jjrawlings.wordpress.com