Sanwo-Olu, in his Eid el-Kabir message on Thursday through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Gboyega Akosile, congratulated Muslims in the state, with the call and to continue on the path of spirituality and peaceful co-existence.

The governor also urged Nigerians, especially Muslims to imbibe the lessons of the sacrifice made by Prophet Ibrahim and work for the unity and progress of the nation.

Sanwo-Olu, who adopted the phrase “calm down” from a viral video of a young boy being flogged by his mother for misdeeds, reiterated the need for extreme caution in order not to jeopardise the gains of past months.

“Today, I join millions of people around the world, to wish our Muslim brothers and sisters in Lagos State and in Nigeria happy Eid-el-Kabir, which comes with significant lessons for mankind. For Muslims, today’s celebration is very unique.

“This symbolic Islamic festival is a reminder to us that, there will always be great rewards when we have abiding faith and patience in trying periods; persistence in prayers and tenacity in our belief.

“It also reminds us of the sacrifice we are expected to make not only for spiritual fulfillment but also for the progress of mankind and the development of our society.”

The governor also reminded Nigerians, especially residents of the need to reflect on the new reality caused by the global coronavirus pandemic, saying it has altered the way we live, work, and celebrate.

He said: “Traditionally, Eid-el-Kabir is marked with fanfare, where thousands of worshippers head to various designated praying grounds in their localities for special Eid prayer, followed by festive gatherings, visits to families and friends, gift exchanges, feasts among friends, neighbours, and relations.

“However, these activities, which are a reflection of joy and happiness of the season, cannot hold this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Let us reflect on the last four to five months of our lives as individuals, as a state, and as a nation. We should also remember our health care workers, and thousands of COVID-19 patients who would have loved to be at home to celebrate with us at this moment.”

Sanwo-Olu also advised Nigerians to support the government’s efforts in building a nation that would work for all, adding that the need to keep Nigeria on the path of development is a collective responsibility of all citizens.

The Governor who through his official Twitter handle @jidesanwoolu convey his Sallah message to Lagosians noted that he was inspired by the viral video of the unidentified boy asking his mother to ‘calm down’.

Explaining further, Sanwo-Olu said he was inspired “because of the deeper meaning it conveys,” urging residents to “calm down.”

The Governor in the series of tweet also expressed his willingness to meet the unidentified boy, but he didn’t disclose why he wants to meet him.

“As an aside, I would like to meet the young boy since we both now have exclusive rights to the phrasal verb ‘calm down’. Slightly smiling face,” Sanwo-Olu said.

In the video, the boy is seen appealing to his mother to “calm down and rest a little,” evoking laughter from social media users.

He also tells his mother to pardon him, saying “this is my last chance,” a phrase that provokes further laughter.

He said: “I saw a video of a charming young boy online asking his mom to ‘calm down’ as she was set to punish him for a misdemeanour.

“I was moved by his sobriety, which reflected in his promise of “last chance”, when confronted with the fact that he is a regular offender.

“The exchange was indeed funny, but it depicted the efforts parents put in moulding children into responsible adults. I want to assume that his mom indeed calmed down because the appeal was moving enough to make anyone change their mind.

“Interestingly, the video inspired this special message to the good people of Lagos State because of the deeper meaning it conveys.

“Fellow Lagosians, we need to ‘calm down’ as we enjoy the coming holiday and festivity.

“It is a commemoration of Prophet Ibrahim’s heart of sacrifice and faith in Allah. We need to emulate and demonstrate his sense of self- restraint at this time the world is combating the scourge of #COVID19.

“We need to be moderate in our celebration and observe prescribed protocols towards defeating the deadly coronavirus. The world needs the responsibility and commitment of its people to oust coronavirus.

“I urge every Lagosian to ‘calm down’ and not get carried away. Like the rest of the world, we are still in the middle of a pandemic and need to remain extremely careful to keep the gains of the sacrifices we have all made in the past months. Let’s calm down!”