Eid-el-Fitr: Buhari sends message to Muslims, says lockdown measures would be reviewed
- The coronavirus caught the world off guard and has dampened on what would otherwise have been a time of celebration for the Muslim faithful to mark the end of the Ramadan fasting period
- As a result of the lockdown measures to stop the spread of the virus, Muslims will not be able to gather in large numbers
- President Buhari sent a Sallah message to Muslims, asking them not to let the coronavirus pandemic dampen their mood
- According to the president, the lockdown measure is only for a time and would not last longer than necessary
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President Muhammadu Buhari has assured Nigerians that the lockdown measures would be reviewed from time to time so as not to make things harder for the people.
In his Sallah message to Muslims on the occasion of Eid-el-Fitr, the president said these measures would not go on longer than necessary.
In a statement issued by his spokesperson Garba Shehu, Buhari noted that this is the first time in years that the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a heavy toll on the people’s spiritual, social and economic lives.
He, however, asked Muslims not to be downcast in spite of the coronavirus ravaging the world, but to keep up their spirits.
According to Nigeria's leader, this year's fasting period was particularly challenging for Muslims because they had to forgo many important aspects of their daily worship, including the routine congregations for prayer and the recitation and interpretation of the Holy Qur’an as well as travelling for the lesser pilgrimage to Makkah.
"It is not easy to give up many of these important duties and activities, but it became imperative to do so in order to control or limit the spread of this deadly disease.
"Let me use this opportunity to commend the sacrifices of both Muslims and Christians for their cooperation in the enforcement of the social distancing guidelines. I am well aware of the inconveniences these tough measures have brought on the lives of Nigerians, including limiting religious activities and gatherings in large numbers,” the statement read.
He further noted that no government would intentionally impose these tough and demanding measures on its citizens if it had a choice.
Buhari urged Nigerians, especially those whose businesses and means of livelihoods were badly affected by the prolonged lockdown measures to be more understanding and cooperate with the government.
The president also appealed to those who are able to help others in this trying time to keep doing so.
He told the Muslim faithful that “this year’s Eid event is an occasion for sober reflection rather than celebration because of the long shadows of gloom that the coronavirus has cast on people’s lives.”
Buhari called on Allah to ease the hardship among the people as they struggle hard to flatten the curve, while wishing all Nigerians “Eid Mubarak.”
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While the government of Nigeria continues to grapple with the deadly virus, some governors in the north and other regions have decided to lift the ban on religious gathering.
This, without any iota of doubt, has gone against the position of the presidential task force on Covid-19 and the protocols of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
Among them, is Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano, whose state is second behind Lagos on the log of states badly buffeted by the ravaging pandemic.
According to report, governors who lifted the ban did so for a political reason as they do not want to offend "both the crescent and the cross."
Coronavirus: Is it time to reopen churches, mosques? | Legit TV
Source: Legit.ng
