Nigerian Muslims in last minute shopping for eid - Few hours to the celebration of the muslim festival of Eid-Eil-Kabir, faithfuls of the religion in Nigeria engaged in last minute shopping, as prices of ram, transportation and other commodities such as clothes, shoes as well as condiments shot up, fueling fears that many might find it difficult to slaughter the significant animal.

Transportation fares from the commercial city of Lagos to other cities and towns has gone up by 100 per cent. Popular motor parks at Berger, Ojota, Ketu and Palmgrove recorded several passengers preparing to board vehicles to their various destinations. “We don’t have any option but to pay the fare. Sincerely speaking, things are not easy economically. Before now, I used to pay about 500 naira to my town, which is just about one hour drive away. Today, for this same trip, I paid N1,000,” one of the passengers who identified himself as Akeem Adebayo said. (N150 = US$1)

Many workers who are non-muslims but wanted to use the opportunity of the long holiday to travel to their country homes, also complained about the exorbitant transport fares. One transporter told PANA that even though the fuel subsidy has not been removed, it is customary for them to increase the prices because of the high demand. In addition to transportation fares is the high prices of rams, which have also gone up. At most of the ram markets, buyers were seen haggling with the ram sellers about the price of the commodity.

“I have been going round to get a better deal but the prices they were giving is beyond my capacity. I intended to buy two rams but because of the situation here, I have to settle for one. This ram you see cost me N45,000. Last year, I paid N35,000 for the same size,” Kareem Ishola said. The ram sellers, on their part, blamed the high cost of the commodity on high transportation cost, levies and taxes charged by local authorities. They also blame it on  general insecurity in some parts of the north, especially, Maiduguri, where the activities of Boko Haram is making it difficult for people to move about freely.

“My message to my fellow muslims, as we prepare to mark the festival, is that for those who have the means of sacrificing a ram, they should be moderate in their spending and should also be moderate in their celebration. For those that do not have the means to slaughter a ram, that is not the end of life. What is most paramount is our faith, that we should have faith in Allah. We should be grateful to Allah, at least, we are still living,” an Islamic scholar, Abdul Rasaq Salaudeen said. Salaudeen noted that, ”The essence of the celebration is to submitt our ways to that of Allah. As a muslim, what is important is to do things that will make us to live in the light of the Holy Quran, to do things that Allah will be pleased with. The essence is not to show off, but to do the will of Allah and to follow the footsteps of the father of faith Prophet Ibrahim and Prophet Muhammed.” Slaughtering of ram is a major part of the celebration of the muslim festival, though not  compulsory. Many of the scholars said the best preparation for the festival is not in buying big rams but the demostration of the fear of Allah at all times.

Pana 06/11/2011