A Muslim scholar, Alhaja Ibiyemi Suwebah Abdulateef, has urged parents to prioritise the moral upbringing of their children while calling on politicians to govern with transparency and the fear of God as YPF held Ramadan lecture on Tuesday.
Abdulateef made the call on Tuesday while delivering a Ramadan lecture organised by the Yoruba Progressive Forum (YPF) at Sanusi Event Hall, Akoda, Ede, Osun State.
The lecture, themed “Building Society and Good Governance,” brought together members and supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as political activities intensify ahead of the August 15 governorship election in the state.
Abdulateef said societal development must begin from the home, stressing that values instilled in children ultimately shape the wider society.
“Face your children, nurture them, build them, they are your future. We’ll build our home before building society. We’ll build our home with obedience to Almighty Allah. Train your children with good behaviour,” she said.
She warned political leaders against dishonesty during electioneering campaigns, noting that accountability before God should guide public office holders.
“The politicians should fear Allah. Because of the election, you are lying. If you lie to us to vote for you, do you think God will guide you through? Face what you want to do,” Abdulateef said.
The scholar also lamented hunger and unemployment across the country, urging leaders to uphold justice and fairness in governance.
“People are hungry. You should be fair and just. Transparency: politicians should be transparent,” she added, cautioning citizens against placing excessive financial demands on elected officials at the expense of public service delivery.
Alhaji Lateef Olalekan, popularly known as Asiri Ede and the National Coordinator of the YPF, said the programme was the sixth edition of the forum’s annual Ramadan lecture. He urged residents to support the governorship ambition of Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji (AMBO) and called on Muslims to make good use of the Ramadan period through prayers and righteous conduct.
“We thank Almighty Allah for witnessing another Ramadan and for the success of this sixth edition of our lecture. I want to urge our people to continue to pray for our leaders and for the peace of our state. Ramadan is a time for piety and reflection. We should use this period to pray for the success of our party and support AMBO so that he can move Osun forward,” he said.
Also speaking at the programme, Oluomo Sunday Akere, Osun State coordinator of Renewed Hope Ambassadors, described the annual Ramadan lecture as a forum to pray for the nation, political leaders and the success of the party’s candidates.
According to him, the lecture was organised in honour of the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, and aimed at seeking divine guidance for the country and its leadership.
“In whatever we do, we need prayers. It is always a thing of joy when we come together to pray for our nation, to pray for our president, to pray for our state, and to pray for the success of our gubernatorial candidate,” Akere said.
He urged residents of the state to remain peaceful as the elections approached, advising them to avoid provocation and intimidation.
“They should get their PVC ready and be prepared to vote,” he said, expressing optimism that the APC would emerge victorious.
Also speaking at the programme, a senatorial aspirant for Osun West Senatorial District, Engineer Dr. Rasheed Olawale Oluogun, criticised the Osun State Government over what he described as poor financial accountability, questioning the management of over N1 billion he said enters a state account monthly.
“If you look at the dynamics of what is happening currently in Osun State, you will see that there are a lot of problems. Look at the recent money that has been swallowed in the state. Over N1 billion is going into an account on a monthly basis that we can’t even account for. So there is need for a change,” he said.
Oluogun said the Ramadan lecture was organised to enlighten party members and supporters as political activities intensify in the state.
“We are here for the programme of the Yoruba Progressive Forum, which is an enlightening programme. It is basically meant for APC as we look towards the next election in Osun State. Believing that by August 15, all APC members will be celebrating, inshallah,” he said.
He urged residents to support the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, expressing confidence that the party would emerge victorious at the polls. Oluogun also declared his support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, citing what he described as visible developments in infrastructure, education funding and the petroleum sector.
“We believe that by January 16, our president is going to emerge again. He has been doing well and we can all see it,” he added.
Speaking further on the Ramadan and Lenten seasons, Oluogun called on Nigerians to pray for their leaders rather than curse them, saying prayers would help sustain positive governance.
“We should always pray for our leaders. Do not swear for them. Pray for them so that the good deeds they are doing can continue,” he said.
He also pledged that if elected as senator representing Osun West, he would prioritise reforms in health, education, agriculture and youth empowerment, noting that unemployment had pushed many young people into crime and menial jobs.
“So many youth have no jobs. Things need to change. We can’t continue like this,” Oluogun added.
