The Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Lagos Council, Mr Adeleye Ajayi, says the Ramadan season, going on alongside the Lenten season, is a significant occurrence.

Ajayi spoke in Ikeja on Tuesday while unveiling plans for the council’s maiden annual Ramadan Lecture at a media conference.

“The observance of the Ramadan alongside the Lenten season is an indication that both religions worship same supreme being.

“Prayers made in unison this time have the tendency to turn individual and community fortunes for the better, for communal petitions are answered this time,” he said.

He called on people to use the period of grace to reach out to the less privileged ones in the society with material items to give them a sense of belonging.

Ajayi said the Muslim community would organise a Quran recitation for students in the state as part of activities of the Ramadan lecture.

He said that the session, that would draw participants from the six zones of the state, was to deepen people’s knowledge on the teachings of Islam and offer prayers for the nation and its leaders.
The theme of the lecture, to be held on March 19 at the Lagos Television hall, Ikeja, is “Islam and the Sanctity of Life”

Ajayi said that the annual lecture would afford the public the opportunity to hear from the penpushers alternatives and solutions to the challenges facing the society.

He described the Ramadan as a period of repentance in the lives of the people, asking faithful to use it to render supplications to God for divine direction for the nation and for its leadership.

According to him, the lecture has come to stay in order to continue to proffer solutions to the nation’s challenges, with a view to correcting societal ills.

The Planning Committee Chairman for the lecture, Alhaja Jamiu Alonge, said that the union would identify with people in various ways to impact on lives.

“In the spirit of the season which comprises many virtuous deeds such as feeding the poor and the needy, the body will put those to practice to draw people closer to Allah.

“Reading and learning of the scriptures, helping people to abandon evil and embrace righteous path will be our goals.

“Ramadan is one of the 12 arabic months. We are deploying efforts to take advantage of the period to turn things around positively through prayers for the nation Nigeria and the President,Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” she said.

Alonge, who decried the subsisting hardship in the land, said with the ongoing fasting that is the fourth pillar of Islam ascribed as a guidance to mankind, the nation’s challenges would be replaced divinely with good tidings.

The Secretary, Planning Committee for the lecture, Mr Yusuf Akinlotan, appealed to people to attend the session to learn better ways to relate with one another.

Akinlotan said that the recitation competition, which had begun in the zones, would be competed at the lecture.

He said that winners of the competition would be encouraged with prizes.