Dele Moses, Ilorin
Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, has advised Muslims to pray for God’s mercy as they celebrate the Eid el-Kabir amidst Coronavirus pandemic.
The governor, in his Sallah message described the pandemic as a test from God and said only combination of faith in God and adherence to the protocols prescribed against spread of the infectitious disease would help humanity out of the pandemic.
Abdulrazaq in the message as contained in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, prayed God to ease the global pandemic and insure humanity against its recurrence.
He felicitated with the Emir of Ilorin, Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, on the occasion of the Muslim festival and congratulated all people of the state and every Muslim household on the occasion.
He commended various religious establishments in the state for their support for the government’s preventive measures ahead of the festivities.
“His Excellency urges every citizen to see this pandemic as a test from God which requires a combination of faith in the Almighty, collective discipline, and a determination to defeat the common enemy by everyone adhering to the protocols that would lead to the flattening of the curve,” according to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary.
“The Governor appeals to everyone particularly the Muslim community to spend the Arafat Day and the blessed Eid days to pray to God for His mercies upon humanity. Even so, he requests that everyone celebrate Eid in their homes and in strict adherence to safety rules. On his part, he will celebrate Eid privately with his family.
“As a Government, one of the key takeaways from the COVID-19 pandemic is the need to be proactive and inventive in filling the socioconomic and infrastructural gaps that would make life easier for our people. The Governor believes therefore that we will emerge from this pandemic stronger and better. He wishes Kwarans and every Muslim household a blessed Eid and God’s Grace to see many of such,” the statement reads.