PHOTO NEWS: Aisha Buhari, Magu, Toyin Saraki, others at prayer session for President Buhari

There were fervent prayers for President Muhammadu on Thursday at the State House in Abuja when Aisha, the wife of the President and other dignitaries gathered for a special Ramadan lecture.

The President is away in London for medical treatment and participants at the session prayed for his quick recovery and return to the country.

The event, convened by the Chief Imam of the State House Mosque, Abdulwaheed Abubakar Sulaiman, and held at the Banquet Hall of the State House, had Mrs Buhari as special guest of honour.

The event had the theme: “The Holy Month of Ramadan: A Sober Reflection for All and Sundry.”

Abdurrahman Ahmed, the Chief Missioner for Ansaruddeen Society of Nigeria, and keynote speaker, identified the problem of Nigeria as emanating from its ingratitude over the blessings it has enjoyed as one of the countries with the highest potential in the world.

He said with such ingratitude, the country lost favour with God and “that is why we are witnessing a moral and economic downturn.”

He called on Nigerians to be good citizens so that the blessings will return.

“Since things didn’t go wrong overnight, they should not be expected to go right overnight,” Suleiman Haruna, the spokesperson to Mrs. Buhari quoted the cleric as saying.

Presentations, he said, were made by four eminent scholars who were united in discussing the virtues of Ramadan with regards to the problems of corruption, spousal relations, parenting and moral decadence among youths. The four scholars identified the need for Nigerians to retrace their steps during this fasting period and become better citizens, to ensure that Nigeria goes back to work and builds a bright future.

Some goodwill speakers at the event by Najaatu Mohammed and Farida Sada Yusuf, who called attention to the increasing spate of rape of babies among citizens and called on Muslim scholars to use the period of Ramadan tafsir to condemn and preach against such evil practice.

They also called for more robust prosecutions relating to the rape cases.

The function witnessed prayers for the nation and President, Muhammadu Buhari and was attended by the Deputy Governor of Jigawa State, Ibrahim Hassan; traditional rulers; wife of the Senate President, Toyin Saraki; and wives of the governors of Nasarawa, Kebbi and Ogun states; the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu; and a cross section of Muslim scholars from across the country.