Sambo, Obasanjo attend Saraki’s funeral prayer

Ilorin – Vice-President Namadi Sambo and Chief Olusegun Obasanjo were among dignitaries who graced the Islamic prayer (Fidau) for late Dr Olusola Saraki in Ilorin on Sunday.

Sambo, who represented President Goodluck Jonathan, led the Federal Government delegation, while state governors in attendance included Adams Oshiomole of Edo, Babangida Aliyu of Niger and Idris Wada of Kogi.

Members of the National Assembly and traditional rulers from various parts of Nigeria were also present, to pay last respects for the late politician.

Sheikh Habibulahi Adam-El-Ilory, a cleric, in his sermon, urged Nigerian politicians to always remember death and endeavour to serve the people who elected them sincerely.

He stressed the need to eschew violence and politics of bitterness in order to move the nation forward.

The cleric emphasised the need for peaceful co-existence irrespective of socio-political leanings.

“Nigerians should learn lessons from death that all man created by God will die one day. As such, there is the need for us to live peacefully, shun religious violence and say no ethno-religious crises.”

He said that politicians should regard political office as service to the people and not a means for personal enrichment to the detriment of the populace.

“Politics is service to the people; leaders must be servants to the people and should not use the office to enrich themselves to the detriment of the masses.

“We shall all die one day without taking any possession with us”, he said.

He prayed for the repose of the soul of the dead and also prayed for peace to reign in Nigeria. (NAN)