Kwara state government Friday announced the cancellation of Eid ul-adha congregational prayers across the state, citing the rise in the state’s Covid-19 cases.
The government also announced a ban on vigils in churches and mosques while restating the ban on concerts, clubbing, beer parlours, and bars in hotels.
The deputy governor and chairman of the state technical committee on Covid-19, Kayode Alabi, told journalists in Ilorin, the capital city, that the decision to cancel the Eid prayers was a painful but necessary one to save lives.
According to him, the government is setting up a task force to enforce all the new directives, including new guidelines on transport unions and market associations.
“Guests at any wedding programme or reception must not exceed 50 persons at one time,” he said.
The briefing was attended by cabinet members; police commissioner Kayode Egbetokun; state commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps Bello Ale; representatives of the Council of Ulamah the Imam Imale of Ilorin Sheikh Abdullah AbdulHameed and Justice Salihu Muhammed; representative of the Christian Association of Nigeria (Kwara), Pastor Moses Popoola; leader of the state transport union, AbdulRazaq Ariwoola; representatives of the bankers’ committee led by Victor Inyang; and representatives of the market associations in the state, among others.
The Imam Imale re-echoed the worries of the state government and called on the people to abide by the directives on Eid and other decisions that had been taken following consultations with various stakeholders, including the Council of Ulamah.
“The government has our full support accordingly and we urge our people to abide by the directives,” Sheikh AbdulHameed said.
Pastor Popoola, on his part, expressed the support of the CAN for the government’s directives, including the one on vigil, adding that those decisions had been taken to save human lives.
Egbetokun said the security agencies would enforce the directives, urging residents of the state to comply.
“It is really not about arrest. This is about human lives. All of us have a role to play in enforcing the directives and combat this pandemic. I want to state, however, that we will not hesitate to arrest and prosecute violators,” he said.
