The President of Nigeria, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), said that he observed the Eid-el-Fitr prayers at his State House residence because of the raging COVID-19 pandemic.
He explained that his decision was in compliance with the measures put in place by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 which prohibited mass gatherings.
Buhari was joined at the prayers by family members, including his wife, Aisha, and son, Yusuf.
In a brief interview after the session, Buhari urged Muslims to reflect on the lessons of the period. He said,
“I held Eid prayers at home today with my family, in keeping with the protocol of the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 against mass gatherings, as well as the directive of the Sultan of Sokoto and President General of the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, suspending Eid congregational prayers across the country.”
Buhari noted that COVID-19 was so devastating that it had reduced developing and developed countries to be on the same level. He stated,
“Nigerians can see that COVID-19 has reduced us, both the developing and developed countries, to the same level. In fact, we have fewer casualties than they we have.”
He called on farmers to double their efforts in producing more food for the country by taking advantage of the rainy season.
“I hope the rainy season would be bountiful so that we get a lot of food.
I wish the farmers will go to farms and save lives so that we can produce what we need in sufficient quantity so that we don’t have to import food.
In any case, we don’t have any money to import food. So we must produce what we are going to eat,” he added.
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