Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia last Saturday won the hearts of Muslims in Accra when he assured them of shouldering the cost of the annual Eid El Fitr activities at the Independence Square and the subsequent Eid El Adha the first by a Vice President.
He made the promise when he attended the ceremony marking the end of the Quranic commentary by the National Chief Imam at the Abossey Okai Central Mosque, Accra.
Every year when Eid El Fitr is due, a committee goes about soliciting funds to rent canopies and other items for the celebration at the Independence Square.
One of members of the Eid Committee, Alhaji Musa Baba expressed his gratitude to the Vice President because, as he put it, he would no longer go about cup in hand seeking support for the celebration.
The Vice President said besides the forthcoming Eid El Fitr, he would fund subsequent events.
He had earlier hosted the first Iftar, the communal breaking of the fast at the Flagstaff House; invitation which was opened to all parties, the NDC receiving 30 invitations.
He told the hundreds of guests that the religious activity to which he invited them was not political adding unity should be upheld by all Ghanaians.
The National Chief Imam while expressing the gratitude of Ghanaian Muslims to the Government of Nana Addo and Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia said that “we ought to show our gratitude to Allah and to this government for their efforts to unite the Muslim Ummah (regardless of party colors) and we ought to thank them very much for the courtesies being accorded us especially the STATE IFTAR at the Flagstaff house which has never happened before although we have been hosted before but not at the flagstaff house and not in this form and style.”
Continuing he said “I don’t do politics as everyone knows but I am setting the records straight. We must show our gratitude to Allah and to the people who do good to us by praying for them if we can.”
The Vice President welcomed his guests thus “It is a pleasure to welcome you, my noble guests, on behalf of his excellency the President and the Government, I would like to express my gratitude for accepting my invitation to this Ramadan Iftar (Breakfast) gathering, hoping that such religious meeting will continue to reach common principles to achieve reforms for our nation as a whole, and our beloved country, Ghana, in particular.
“One of the cardinal tenets of Islam has to do with the devotion of the self to a month of abstinence. The month of Ramadan, which we are yet to conclude, is a month when Muslims around the world are constantly reminded of values that are crucial to leadership driven by public morality and targeted at effective governance. These values include: tolerance, patience, fairness, forgiveness, charity, sacrifice, truthfulness and so on. Ramadan is a period of contemplation, reflection, compassion and reconciliation for the benefit of self and society, both materially and spiritually,” he said.
The observance of Ramadan, he went on, “should be a means to bring strength and the earnest will to live in peace together with fellow humans. It is a month when we extend our hands to all of humanity in genuine brotherhood.”