A Muslim woman, Hajiya Ramatu Tijjani, on Thursday in Kaduna doled out chickens and food items to over 50 poor Christian widows and orphans to celebrate the Easter.
Tijjani said the gesture was to assist the beneficiaries and help in building understanding, peace and unity among the people devoid of religious sentiments.
Tijjani said: “Christians worldwide are finishing their 40 days fasting and prayers this week.
“There is need to support the widows with chickens and other food stuff to enable them celebrate the Easter with joy, and happiness like other Christians round the world.’’
She said that the current economic hardship in the country has made it difficult for people to enjoy such festivities, adding that the gesture was to uplift the spirit of the widows and poor children and encourage them to do good to others.
She said: “I commence the chickens distribution with the Church of Christ Evangelical and Intercessory Fellowship, Sabon Tasha Kaduna.
“Because of my good friendship with all the members of the church, I am hoping to spread the gifts to other neighbouring churches in Kaduna.’’
According to her, last year during the six weeks Lenten period, she paid the bail of 10 Christian youths serving in Kaduna prison, to enable them return home to their families and friends.
Tijjani said: “this is a method of promoting peace, building inter-religious tolerance and better understanding among different faith based organisations in Nigeria.
“We are worshiping one God and Allah and both Muslims and Christians are from one family and both have Holy Books which are Bible and Qur’an.
“Both believe in paradise and hell, therefore we are all one family under one God.”
She stressed the need for clerics from both religions to preach sermons that foster unity and peaceful co-existence.
“As Christian celebrates Easter this weekend, I wish them peace and happiness,’’ she added.
The peace ambassador called on wealthy individuals to assist the poor, widows and orphans with food and new clothes, to celebrate the season with joy.
“Let us be our brothers keepers, let us unite Nigerians, and let us join hands in helping our brothers and sisters towards making Nigeria a better place.
“I am going to distribute other food items to other widows. My job is to see every woman celebrating with her children happily.”
She however called on federal and state governments to provide adequate security in all the 36 states during and after the Easter period, to avert all forms of security threats.
Receiving the gift, the General Overseer, Christ Evangelical Intercessory Fellowship Ministry, Pastor Yohanna Buru, thanked Hajiya Tijjani for the kind gesture.
Buru urged other Nigerians to learn how to tolerate, accommodate and live in peace with one another irrespective of religious background.
He stressed that it is time for all preachers to redouble efforts in teaching their followers the right ways and obey the teaching of the Holy books so as to end the activities of extremists and terrorists hiding under religion. (NAN)