Eid Prays To Hold Within Jumat Mosques’ Premises

The Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19, on Monday, gave guidelines for Eid prayers for the upcoming Eid el-Fitr celebrations.

The Honourable Minister of the FCT Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, on Monday, 10th May 2021, chaired a meeting of the FCTA and a delegation from the FCT League of Imams Initiative led by its Chairman, Imam (Dr) Tajudeen M.B Adigun to discuss the modalities of holding Eid prayers for the upcoming Eid el-Fitr celebrations.

In his remarks, the Minister thanked the religious leaders for their cooperation in the course of the battle against COVID-19 in the FCT and said that having gone through a first wave of the pandemic and a second wave that caused more fatalities and had increased number of positives, it was imperative to prevent a possible third wave as is being witnessed in some countries across the world.

Consequently, based on presentations made by officials of the Health and Human Services Secretariat of the FCTA and the Implementation Guidelines for Phased Restriction of Movement issued by the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 on Monday, 10th May 2021, the following guidelines are hereby issued:

I. There will be no Eid prayers at the National Eid prayer ground along the Umaru Musa Yar’adua Expressway (Airport Road)

ii. All worshippers are enjoined to hold Eid prayers outdoors within the premises of their neighbourhood Juma’at mosques

iii. Indoor worship are to be limited to less than 50% of installed capacity

iv. Religious authorities are advised to regulate the flow of people entering and exiting places of worship.

v. All non-pharmaceutical intervention protocols of facial coverings, physical distancing and hand washing are to be observed

vi. All other Eid celebrations and activities should be confined to homes as all public parks, recreation and entertainment centres are to be closed.

At the end of the meeting, the Chairman of the FCT League of Imams Initiative, Dr Tajudeen Mohammed Bello Adigun, speaking on behalf of the League, said “In Islam, you listen to experts, those who are specialists and those who have actually discussed with us are experts in the field of medical sciences. In Islam, you also abide with the commands of leadership”.

Dr Adigun added, “Based on this and what we are convinced of, we urge Muslim Ummah to also respect this stand of the Administration of the FCT by observing our Eid prayers within our localities”.