It’s a tough pill to swallow but that there are actually adult humans who disagree with the Acting President’s advice to Nigerians that “no matter how much you pray and fast, our country cannot grow without some of us deciding to do the hard work that makes nations work.”

[In case you missed it: Nigeria cannot work with only fasting and Prayer – Osinbajo]

We kid you not. Actual humans who have unfortunately once roamed the corridors of power disagree with him.

[Doyin Okupe: “Jehoshaphats army did not have to fight. They did not lift a finger. God fought their battles”]

Despite this foolery, Professor Osinbajo has refused to backtrack. In fact, he may have just found another avenue to pass his message across as Muslims in Nigeria begin their annual month-long fast today. The Acting President is reported to have delivered a Ramadan wherein he appealed “to all Nigerians especially Muslims to use the period of Ramadan for reflection on our national challenges and join forces with the Buhari administration to overcome them.”

No where in his message, did Professor Osinbajo directly encourage Nigerians to “pray and fast” for Nigeria during this auspicious month, reaffirming his earlier stance that “great economies and nations, as well as prosperity and abundance, are created by men, not spirits.”

Curiously, we have only seen a report of the Acting President’s Ramadan address on the NTA Network online platform. Similar reports to that found on NTA were published here and here.

The NTA reports that Professor Osinbajo “felicitates with the entire Muslim community in Nigeria as they join other faithfuls across the world to commence Ramadan – the holy month of fasting and prayer.”

“The Acting President implores Muslims to seek maximum benefits from the Ramadan period by replicating the teachings of the Holy Prophet in all their engagements; private and public.

“Being a period of spiritual perseverance, temperance, introspection and retrospection with the Almighty Allah, the Acting President urges Muslims to use the Ramadan to renew their commitments to the virtues of love and peace taught by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW), and also work towards achieving them.

“While calling on Nigerians to continue to pray for President Muhammadu Buhari, and the nation in general, Prof. Osinbajo urges Muslim faithfuls to also remember the less privileged in the society during the special period and wishes all Muslims a blessed Ramadan.”

Last year, President Muhammadu Buhari’s Ramadan message was equally devoid of a call to Nigerians to pray and fast for the nation. The President had instead used the occasion of Ramadan address to speak to those who “hike food prices during the month” and “those who steal national resources” . President Buhari’s last address was essentially a call to “Muslim traders, business people, civil servants and politicians to use the period to seek forgiveness by avoiding wrong practices for personal gains at the expenses of others.”