AbdulRazaq Greets Muslims At Eid-el-Fitr, Says Ban On Large Gatherings Stays

•Gov says religious places remain shut

By Steve Oni, Ilorin

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has felicitated with the Muslim community over the completion of the Ramadan fast, praying God to reward and grant the supplications of the faithful.

The Governor however called on Muslims to observe their Eid prayers at home as the ban on large social and religious gatherings — as is typical of the end of Ramadan prayers — remains in place as part of the measures to curtail the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.

“We congratulate our Muslim brethren on the successful completion of Ramadan fasting, and pray the Almighty Allah to accept it as an act of worship, forgive our excesses, grant all our supplications during and after the holy month, and gift us long life and good health to observe several Ramadan in the best state of faith in God,” the Governor said on Saturday in a statement by his spokesman Rafiu Ajakaye.

“Ramadan was a time of complete and sincere submission to the will of God. It served to purify our souls and train us to be discipline, selfless, and conscious of our creator. We beseech Kwarans and indeed Nigerians to internalise the takeaways and let them guide our daily existence for the sake of humanity.

“As the fast ends today, we repeat that the 2020 Ramadan came at an extraordinary time of human existence during which we are to temper certain rights and privileges to preserve the human race against the ravaging deadly Corona Virus (COVID-19). To that extent, there shall be no large gathering for congregational Eid prayer or other large social gatherings in Kwara State this year. For emphasis, all religious places remain shut until further notice. All malls and related places are to prevent such conditions or interactions that can spread the virus. All of these are in line with the COVID-19 safety protocols which have been designed solely to flatten the curve of transmission and protect the people.”