Ghanaians Muslims must use the Ramadan period to fight the evils in society, three-time flagbearer of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akufo-Addo has said in his good will message to Muslims as they start their month-long fast.

“It is …my prayer that Muslims will use this holy month of Ramadan to pray for Allah to ward off the evils that plague our society and draw us back – corruption, nepotism, ethnicity, unprincipled politics, poverty, ignorance and disease,” Mr Akufo-Addo said in a statement on Monday June 6.

Below is the full statement:

I extend fraternal greetings to Muslims in Ghana and across the world as they prepare to start the fast of Ramadan.

Ramadan is a period of intense devotion and reflection- a time when Muslims fast during the day and perform prayers at night, reciting and listening to the entire Qur’an over the course of the month. The rigours undertaken by devout Muslims inspire respect for Islam among people of all faiths and this can bring hope of greater understanding for good will.

“Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may ward off evil” so states the Qur’an. It is, therefore, my prayer that Muslims will use this holy month of Ramadan to pray for Allah to ward off the evils that plague our society and draw us back – corruption, nepotism, ethnicity, unprincipled politics, poverty, ignorance and disease. Ramadan should unite us and instil in us fellow-feeling, so that we can create a society where Allah is truly our anchor against the storms of life.

Fasting is also a celebration of commitment and obedience to God and also of God’s mercy and provision for all of us. It is a time of family, community and charity.

I, therefore, believe in the possibility of the overflow of old boundaries when wholehearted devotion to one’s own faith is matched with a devout respect for the faith of others and I call on all our Muslim brothers and sisters to demonstrate continually this sense of unity and oneness in the years ahead.

I pray, particularly, for my running mate, Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, and his wife, Hajia Samira Bawumia, as they commemorate the first anniversary of their pilgrimage to the Holy Places of Mecca.

Once again, I wish all Moslems Allah’s guidance and peace as you observe this truly unique month of blessing. Salamu Alaikum!

......signed......
Nana Akufo-Addo
2016 NPP Presidential Candidate