The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Bello, has banned Eid prayers at the National Eid prayer ground on the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Expressway, Airport Road.
The prohibition, Bello said, is due to the battle against the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that is still ravaging some parts of the world.
The minister on Monday chaired a meeting of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and a delegation from the FCT League of Imams Initiative led by its Chairman, Dr Tajudeen Adigun and discussed measures on how to curb further spread of the pandemic and modalities of holding Eid prayers.
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, the minister ordered worshippers to hold Eid prayers within the premises of their neighborhood Juma’at mosques.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday by his Chief Press Secretary, Anthony Ogunleye, the minister also said all other Eid celebrations and activities should be confined to homes.
He went further that all public parks, recreation and entertainment centers are to be closed.
The minister thanked the religious leaders for their cooperation in the course of the battle against COVID-19 in the FCT.
“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,” he said, adding “Indoor worship are to be limited to less than 50 per cent of installed capacity.
Comments