President Muhammadu Buhari has urged the Muslim faithful to keep their spirits up in spite of the coronavirus pandemic.
The President’s admonition was contained in a message to the Muslims on the occasion of this year’s Eid-el-Fitr.
In a statement signed his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, the President noted that the deadly Coronavirus, which caught the world unawares, 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.”
He acknowledged that the pandemic has had an enormous toll on people’s spiritual, social and economic lives.
He also acknowledged the difficulties on Nigerians “whose businesses and means of livelihoods were badly affected by the prolonged lockdown measures,” and thanked them “for their understanding and cooperation.”
President Buhari assured Nigerians that the lockdown measures would not last longer than necessary as they would be reviewed from time to time to ease the increasing hardships on the people.
He however, urged people with means to continue helping their neighbours and the less privileged “so that we can all come out of this pandemic stronger and more united.”
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“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.
“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.
“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.
“No government would intentionally impose these tough and demanding measures on its citizens if it had a choice,” the President stated.
Buhari 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.”
He prayed Allah to ease the hardship among the people as they struggle hard to flatten the curve, while wishing all Nigerians “Eid Mubarak.”
