Controversial Scenario: Lockdown Amid Covid-19 And Social Involvements -By Onawola Abdulqodri Adewale

With the rising figure of confirmed cases of COVID-19, low increase in discharged cases and unpleasant figure of experienced death cases of coronavirus in Nigeria, strict compliance to preventive measures need to be observed.

The reason for imposing preventive measures on Individuals is to curb the spread of the virus, but as the case, it is in Nigeria where people are demeaning it in terms of effectiveness, Nigerians, are they helping the situation or contributing to the other side of it?

The recent developments in Nigeria call for serious attention and consideration in order to yield a renaissance Nigeria. Here it comes, Islamic festival called “Eid Fitr” observed by Muslims around the world and specifically, Nigeria.

Ever since the outbreak of COVID-19, it is worthy of note that time doesn’t wait, it carries all other activities with itself, and here comes “Eid Fitri” meant to be performed publicly under normal circumstances.

Sultan of Sokoto, religious leader for all Muslims in Nigeria recently divulged that all Muslims are hereby informed to perform their festival rites in the various houses in order to strictly adhere to preventive measures but in some states in Nigeria, official individuals and bodies said that festival rites shall be performed publicly not distinctively.

In a similar manner, the states that announced that religious activities shall be observed publicly have thriving cases of COVID_ 19 and approximately, daily basis. One could deduce from the method in which the last Jumu’ah prayer was observed in some states where preventive measures were not observed compared to how it was carefully performed in Saudi Arabia.

When these measures are practiced, there would be rest of mind that the virus won’t be spread even when an undetected victim is present among them. Measures violation in Nigeria is a widely experienced case at most places in Nigeria but the pressing development is that Muslims glaringly carry a lofty segment of the Nigerian population.

It is a commendable act to beseech Almighty God via the precious medium of the festival but the scary aspect is, would preventive measures be observed because the nature of every “Eid Fitri” is always crowded and intermingled under normal circumstances.

It is touchy to realize that the total number of Muslims that would perform “Eid Fitr” rites at once could contribute to the faith of Nigeria in this coming religious act considering that an undetected victim might be present and in the same manner, preventive measures could be left unpractised.

This controversial and dilemmatic development could dictate the faith of Nigeria amid COVID-19 whether moving out of it or back to square one. Whether complying with instructions or not, safety measures need to be observed in order to achieve a renaissance Nigeria.

Eventually, as displayed in Saudi Arabia, religious activities could be performed but concurrently adhering to preventive measures. Derailing from the past method of executing religious activities, and strict adherence to safety measures is for the betterment of Nigeria as a whole. Long live Nigeria!

Onawola Abdulqodri Adewale is an undergraduate student of English language at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, Sokoto State, Nigeria. He can be reached via Gmail address: onawolaabdulqodri22@gmail.com or phone number: 09025324714.