Sallah: High cost of ram, foodstuff will not stop celebrations – Muslim faithful
Some Muslim faithful in the FCT, on Tuesday say the high costs of ram and other foodstuff will not stop them from celebrating the Eid al-Adha.
They said in Abuja that they were eager to partake in the yearly ritual in spite the economic challenges.
Mr Abdulrahman Kolawole, a civil servant, said that he could afford a ram for the yearly sacrifice, but would join with other relatives to buy a cow that would be shared amicably.
“The most important thing is the sharing, the giving and caring for your neighbours and people around you. It is a sacrifice that awards blessings if done from the heart.
“The thing is, my family and I are always enthusiastic about this period because it is a time to celebrate and merry together and also to be thankful for Allah’s kindness to humanity.
“So we will celebrate, whether the prices of ram and foodstuff are high or not, we will afford what we can and still merry. Allah is gracious and we are happy,’’ he said.
Kolawole while lamenting over the exorbitant cost of ram and other livestock ahead of the celebration, advised those who could not afford the item to make alternative arrangements based on their might.
Alhaji Yawu Mamman, a business man, said that he had already made provisions for foodstuff ahead of the celebrations for his family.
Mamman said he was able to buy all that his family would need for the celebration in spite the skyrocketed prices of goods, adding that he could not afford ram because of the price.
He said:“ I just asked my wife to buy chickens so that we can cook and share among friends and relatives.
“I was able to make the ram sacrifice in other years but things are a bit tough now, so we will make do with what is available.
“This is because tough times cannot stop us from performing our religious obligations.
“Insha Allah, we will share food to as many that we can reach and people that will come visiting. It is Allah’s message and we hope to deliver.
Also speaking, Hajiya Saadatu Abdullahi, a business woman, said she and her family would celebrate the festival in her home town, Zaria, Kaduna state.
Abdullahi said that the fuel price among other economic issues was a challenged enough to stop a lot of people from celebrating like they used to in the past.
She, however, added that, with good plans and cut costs, people should be able to adjust and still merry during the festivities.
In a related development, the correspondents who visited some of the ram stands in Bwari and Kubwa area of the city, reports that livestock price ranged from N25,000 to N350,000, depending on their sizes.
A ram seller, Mr Amos Ayu, said that he had low patronage due to the high cost of rams, while attributing the cost to the economic situation in the country.
“ Before now, to transport one ram from Katsina to Abuja cost between N1, 000 to N1, 500, but now it costs N3, 500 whether small or big.
“ In the past the highest amount you can buy a very big ram is N100, 000 to N150, 000 depending on the size, but now, the biggest goes for a negotiable price of N250,000 to N350,000, ” the trader said.
Supreme News reports that Eid-el-kabir is a festival of ram sacrifice, an act of Ibadah (worship) to Allah as practiced by Muslims globally.
Muslims in Nigeria celebrate the festival by going to the praying ground in the morning, slaughtering of the sacrificial ram and sharing meals with family and friends.
