JUST IN: Tambuwal signs law prohibiting preachings, public congregation during Ramadan

Tunde Omolehin, Sokoto

Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto State on Friday signed a law prohibiting preaching and public gathering during Ramadan.

The new law revokes the Sokoto State Infectious Diseases, Immunization, Quarantine and Isolation Regulations 2020; and would henceforth regulate all activities thereto and stipulate punishment and penalties for offenders.

In a statement released by the governor’s Special Adviser, Muhammad Bello, Tambuwal said the law was directed at the suspension of Tafsir, Tarawih and Tuhajjud in congregational forms during the fasting period.

He stressed that the action was taken following the state government’s adoption of the position of the Sultan of Sokoto-led National Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) and the Jama’atul Nasril Islam (JNI), both of which had agreed to suspend the traditional forms of worship.

According to the governor, the state government has provided an alternative for the Ulama who normally preach at this time to have their sessions recorded via internet and sponsored for airing on radio and television stations across the state.

Also, in consultation with the state Chief Judge and Chairman of the COVID-19 task force, the state government announced the formal extension of the ban on inter-state movements by another two weeks effective from midnight Friday, April 24, 2020.

The governor, who reiterated that COVID-19 is real, as the first case has been recorded in the state, appealed to communities sharing borders with Niger Republic and other states to cooperate with security agencies to ensure that nobody enters the state during the period of the ban.

He directed the state ministry of health to recall and reinstate all retired indigenous medical doctors and health practitioners to the scale on which they left the state employment in order to enhance healthcare delivery.

He equally requestreachijng ed the Chief Judge of the state to look into the possibility of medical doctors staying in service longer than the period statutorily stipulated for them now.