Eid: No Gathering At National Prayer Ground – FCTA

The Federal Capital Territory Administration has notified Muslim faithful that the Eid el-Fitr prayers will not hold at the National Eid prayer ground situated at the Umaru Musa Yar’adua Expressway (Airport Road).

The FCTA Chief Press Secretary, Anthony Ogunleye, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.

He stated that the directive came after the Minister of FCT, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello and the FCT League of Imams Initiative, Chairman, Imam (Dr) Tajudeen M.B Adigun, brainstormed on how to hold the Sallah prayers amid the covid-19 pandemic.

Bello said based on expert advice and a recent advisory by the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 on Monday, the following directive should be adhered to:

“There will be no Eid prayers at the National Eid prayer ground along the Umaru Musa Yar’adua Expressway (Airport Road).

“All worshippers are enjoined to hold Eid prayers outdoors within the premises of their neighborhood Juma’at mosques. Indoor worship is to be limited to less than 50% of installed capacity. Religious authorities are advised to regulate the flow of people entering and exiting places of worship.

“All non-pharmaceutical intervention protocols of facial coverings, physical distancing and hand washing are to be observed. All other Eid celebrations and activities should be confined to homes as all public parks. recreation and entertainment centers are to be closed.”

On his part, Adigun said that muslims align with prescriptions from medical science.

“In Islam, you listen to experts, those who are specialists and those who have actually discussed with us are experts in the field of medical sciences. In Islam, you also abide with the commands of leadership,” he said as quoted by the FCTA statement.

The development is in line with the federal government’s new covid-19 measures.

The steering committee had said among other things that wearing of facemasks was now compulsory for entry into any government institution.