There will not be Eid prayers at the National Eid prayer ground along the Umaru Yar’adua Expressway, Abuja in this year’s Eid-il-Fitri, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Muhammad Bello, said on Tuesday.
The minister said the decision followed presentations by officials of the Health and Human Services Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory Administration and the implementation guidelines for Phased Restriction of Movement issued by the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 on Monday.
Bello spoke when he engaged a delegation of the FCT League of Imams Initiative led by its Chairman, Imam Tajudeen Adigun, in a . meeting, according to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Anthony Ogunleye.
The statement party read, “Having gone through a first wave of the pandemic and a second wave that caused more fatalities and had increased the 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, May 10, 2021, the following guidelines are hereby issued:
“There will be no Eid prayers at the National Eid prayer ground along the Umaru Musa Yar’adua Expressway (Airport Road).
“All worshippers are enjoined to hold Eid prayers outdoors within the premises of their neighborhood Juma’at mosques.
“Indoor worshippers are to be limited to less than 50% of installed capacity.
“Religious authorities are advised to regulate the flow of people entering and exiting places of worship.
“All non-pharmaceutical intervention protocols of facial coverings, physical distancing and hand washing are to be observed.
“All other Eid celebrations and activities should be confined to homes as all public parks, recreation and entertainment centres are to be closed.”
The statement quoted the Chairman of the FCT League of Imams Initiative, Adigun, promising tbat Muslims in the FCT would abide by the directives.
“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,” Adigun was quoted to have assured.