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It’s Time for Sober Reflection, Not Celebration, Says Buhari

Amid the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic, which has claimed thousands of lives worldwide, crippled businesses, and caused massive disruption to daily living, including religious worship, with the closure of mosques and churches, the Islamic faithful will quietly offer prayers and supplications today to celebrate this year’s Eid-el-fitr. Also called the “Festival of Breaking the Fast”, Eid-el-fitr marks the end of the month-long dawn-to-sunset fasting in the holy month of Ramadan.

Today’s celebration would be devoid of the fanfare, fellowship, and ceremonial visits usually associated with Eid-el-fitr. This is due to the social/physical distancing and other containment measures introduced by governments to tackle the spread of the coronavirus.

It was against this new normal that President Muhammadu Buhari, Saturday, called on Muslims across the country to see this year’s Eid event as “an occasion for sober reflection rather than celebration because of the long shadows of gloom that the coronavirus has cast on people’s lives.”

Also yesterday, NCDC announce 265 new cases raising the tally to 7526 with 2174 discharges and 221 deaths so far.

Lagos as usual top the tally with 133, followed by Oyo with 34, Edo 28, Ogun 23, FCT 22, amongst others.

In his Eid-el-fitr message signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, Buhari admitted that the COVID-19 challenge had taken a huge toll on people’s spiritual, social and economic lives. He assured Nigerians that the current lockdown would not be longer than necessary.

Equally in the spirit of the season, Senate President Ahmed Lawan, Speaker of the House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila, Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Senate President Bukola Saraki, and other prominent Nigerians felicitated with Muslims all over the country for the completion of the Ramadan fasting period. They urged the citizens to continue to pray for the country as it battles the challenge of COVID-19.

Buhari told Muslims to keep their spirits up in spite of the coronavirus pandemic. He said the virus, “which caught the world off-guard, has put a damper on what would otherwise have been a time of celebration for the Muslim faithful to mark the end of the Ramadan fasting period.”

The president said, “For the first time in recent years, the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a heavy toll on the people’s spiritual, social and economic lives.” He added, “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 traveling 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 president said, “No government would intentionally impose these tough and demanding measures on its citizens if it had a choice.”

The president appreciated Nigerians “whose businesses and means of livelihood were badly affected by the prolonged lockdown measures for their understanding and cooperation.” He assured that the lockdown measures would not go on longer than necessary, saying they would be reviewed from time to time to ease the hardship on the people.

While exhorting people with means to help their neighbours and those in need “so that we can all come out of this pandemic stronger and more united,” Buhari told the Muslim faithful, “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.”

He prayed Allah to ease the hardship among the people as they struggle to flatten the curve of COVID-19 infections. He wished all Nigerians “Eid Mubarak.”

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Copyright 2020 SIGNAL. Permission to use portions of this article is granted provided appropriate credits are given to www.signalng.com and other relevant sources. 

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