By Olushola Okewole
The grand Chief Imam of Ejigbo, Alhaji Mukaila Sanni, has charged the federal government to consider reopening of worship centres, insisting that there is need for congregational prayers to ward off the ravaging coronavirus.
The Chief Imam said this why commenting on the restriction of congregational (Eid) Ileya prayer as the Muslim faithful were forced to pray individually in their homes.
The cleric, who believes that the pandemic was inflicted on human race as a result of their disobedience to God, said people need to go back to God to overcome the affliction.
He said: “Nigeria and other nations of the world are currently suffering the consequence of humans’ disobedience to their Creator in form of deadly virus called Covid-19.
“Therefore, it is necessary for all nations or all human beings to go back to their Creator and make corrections of their shortcomings in the area of evil, vices and immoralities.
“For people to be convinced that they need to change their ways, they need to be divinely sermonised and sensitised and this cannot be easily done except they visit Mosques and Churches. That is the reason why the government should find a way of returning people to the House of God.”
He said though the Muslims could not hold congregational Eid prayer during the last Ileya festival due to the Covid-19 pandemic in Lagos, the chief imam said it was not a sin for the Muslims as he charged them to remain faithful to God in every situation.
He however urged them to continue to adhere to the government directives on social distancing, wearing of nose covers and washing of their hands as measures to curb community spread of the virus.
