Ramadan 2021: Fasting Amid Fasting -By Hashim Yussuf Amao

One among salient importance of Ramadan fasting is intentional hunger that draws the fasting mind towards helpless hungry fellows. Unfortunately, in Nigeria, it comes in the reversed narrative and only compliments existing hunger.

World Food Programme reports that ” Around 110 million Nigerians, representing 60 percent of the country’s population are hungry and live below the poverty line”. Hunger had germinated into an emotional plant Nigerians water with daily tears. Pathetically, the hunger is not dawn to sunset as Ramadan would prescribe – but dawn to dawn, sunset to sunset.

Over the years, Nigeria had turn to a coven where hungry citizens crawl helplessly in poverty and fast each day, hoping it would limit the torment of their unfriendly hunger; and when Ramadan knocks, it only serve as a subtle reminder towards spiritual upliftment; the hunger remains same.

One would have expected Government at all levels to repel this grief with relief via stimulus packages, but it’s just impossible like the absence of songs in Indian movies. A Government which harbours Covid-19 stimulus packages despite how its citizens paled and wailed uncontrollably during the Corona lockdown would grant no relief. Let’s stop hoping on the impossibility and live our tough lives as usual. After all, they knew Nigerians are the strong set of people that would find means to survive amid intense hunger, regardless what.

Thanks to Iftar (Islamic feast for fasting Muslims), many fasting minds would have been left with no hope to allay their hunger. I was at Azeez Arisekola Mosque in Ibadan few years back during Iftar session, when a non-Muslim came to beg for Iftar package. Pathetically, hunger had taken over him. Some Muslims would have done same in Christian gatherings. Everyone is only trying to arrest their hunger. That’s the sardonic state we’ve been left to, in Nigeria.

As usual, Ramadan had come as that sacred month; but with the current state of hunger in the land, it will only rekindle the spiritual joy in our hearts, there’s still ongoing chaos in our stomachs – the chaos of hunger and imbalance meal. Now is the right time FG should grant stimulus packages rather than preaching austerity. But I will advise myself to wake up from this slumber. No packages will be granted, no relief would come. Yes, none would come. I am pessimistic. I have my reasons.

Born and bred in Ibadan, Hashim Yussuf Amao is a Graduate of University of Ilorin. He tweets via: @LegalBard