COVID-19: Council of Ulamas asks el-Rufai to relax lockdown in Kaduna

Council of Imams and Ulama, Kaduna State chapter has called for a gradual relaxation of the lockdown enforced in the state as part of measures put in place to contain the further spread of COVID-19 in the state.

This is even as the council commended the state government for the prompt action taken in preventing the spread of the virus across the state.

Tribune Online reports that the chairman of the council, Shaykh Ibrahim Nakaka, made the appeal in a statement he issued to newsmen in Kaduna on Sunday.

The statement reads: “The Council appreciates the good leadership qualities exhibited by the Governor Mallam Nasiru Ahmad el- Rufai, his Deputy, Dr Hadiza Balarabe who acted in his absence and the entire state task force committee on COVID-19 in ensuring that the coronavirus does not cause much havoc to the people of Kaduna State compared to its neighbouring states where their state governments failed to act immediately right from the onset of the pandemic.

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“Based on these successes, the Council is calling on the state government to begin to look at the possibilities of gradual relaxation of the lockdown process in the state but with stringent conditions of using face masks and intensify grassroots sensitisation for handwashing with soap and the use of hand sanitisers as recommended by the public health experts so as to prevent any possible local transmission.

“This, the Council feels will assist in alleviating the sufferings of the people of Kaduna State while at the same time not jeopardising the fight against the dreaded coronavirus.

“The Council is of the opinion that when the free movement is restored in the state, entry borders should still be kept closed, until such a time when the state is safe from cross border transmission.”

The council called on all Muslims to be more steadfast in prayers in this Holy month of Ramadan for Allah and to pray for an end to the COVID-19 and other ailments causing discomfort for the state and the country in general.