Drought: Etsu Nupe leads subjects to pray for abundant rainfall, bumper harvest
By Mohammed Baba Busu
Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, traditional leaders, religious leaders and Farmers, in Bida emirate on Thursdays, converged at the Eid prayer ground in Esso, Bida to pray to God Almighty to shower abundant rainfall and bumper harvest in the emirate, Niger and the nation as a whole.
Residents of Bida emirate have resorted to special prayers seeking divine intervention from God over imminent drought due to lack of steady rainfall in the kingdom.
News Agency of Nigeria reports that thousand of residents converged at the Eid prayer ground, sequel to the cessation of rainfall in the area.
NAN also reports that this was done in accordance to Islamic injunctions to seek devine intervention for abundant rainfall and bumper harvest.
Speaking shortly after the prayer session, Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar said that the move was to seek for forgiveness and mercy of Almighty Allah.
According to him, Islam teaches the Muslims to repent and seek God’s mercy in the events of any calamity that befalls the society.
Alhaji Abubakar therefore, urged the Muslim Ummah to forgive one another and refrain from all acts prohibited by the Islamic religion.
The Etsu Nupe also urged his subjects to shun immoralities and go back to God in true repentance.
He said: “Whenever there is a possible threat of drought, we are enjoined by Allah (SWT) through His Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) that we should go back to Him, and seek His guidance and forgiveness.
“We seek for Allah’s mercy and guidance and we hope this prayer will be answered by Allah (SWT) and will grant us not only rain but bless our crops and other things that we need to survive.”
In a sermon, the Chief Imam of Bida emirate, Sheikh Adamu Liman-Yakatun listed five reasons that make drought and other calamities to befall communities.
He said, “they include the failure of the people to redeem pledges and some shoddy deals by some marketers and people who provide services, among others.
Liman-Yakatun noted that crops are in serious need of water to survive, amidst the high cost of food items in the market and security challenges facing the state.
He admonished residents of the state to fear God in their daily activities, and for leaders to treat their subjects with sincerity and provide the needed humanitarian assistance to them.
According to him, “Even these unnecessary killings of innocent citizens can be responsible for rainfall shortage including our bad characters”.
The Chief Imam however, prayed for sufficient rain for farmers to obtain bumper harvest, and asked God to end the hardship that Nigerians face everywhere they live across the country.(NAN)
