By SODIQ OYELEKE

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has assured Nigerians that lockdown measures put in place to curb the spread of coronavirus would not remain longer than necessary.

He said this in a statement containing his message to Muslims on the occasion of this year’s Eid-el-Fitr.

The statement issued on Saturday was signed by the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu.

Buhari was quoted as saying that COVID-19, which caught the world off guard, and has put a damper on what would otherwise have been “a time of celebration for the Muslim faithful to mark the end of the Ramadan fasting period.”

The Nigerian leader commended the sacrifices of both Muslims and Christians for their cooperation in the enforcement of the social distancing guidelines.

He assured Nigerians that “the lockdown measures would not go on longer than necessary because they would be reviewed from time to time to ease the increasing hardships on the people.

“I am well aware of the inconveniences these tough measures have brought on the lives of Nigerians, including limiting religious activities and gatherings in large numbers.

“No government would intentionally impose these tough and demanding measures on its citizens if it had a choice.”

The retired general also appealed to Nigerians “whose businesses and means of livelihoods were badly affected by the prolonged lockdown measures for their understanding and cooperation.”

He said, “For the first time in recent years, the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a heavy toll on the people’s spiritual, social, and economic lives.

“This year’s fasting period was particularly challenging for Muslims because they had to forgo many important aspects of their daily worship, including the routine congregations for prayer and the recitation and interpretation of the Holy Qur’an as well as traveling for the lesser pilgrimage to Makkah.

“It is not easy to give up many of these important duties and activities, but it became imperative to do so in order to control or limit the spread of this deadly disease.”

He also urged people with means to continue helping their neighbours and the less well-to-do “so that we can all come out of this pandemic stronger and more united”.

The President told the Muslim faithful that “this year’s Eid event is an occasion for sober reflection rather than celebration because of the long shadows of gloom that the coronavirus has cast on people’s lives.” (The PUNCH)

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