The Islamic Forum of Nigeria has urged the Federal Government to reschedule the conduct of the forthcoming national census to a future date, observing that the March and April dates slated for the exercise coincide with this year’s Ramadan fast.
In a statement made available to newsmen on Sunday, the Executive Secretary of the Forum, Professor Salisu Shehu explained that the timing of the exercise is not favourable to Muslims across the country.
According to the statement: “Muslims both as staff of the Commission and the people to be enumerated will find it difficult to cope with the hardship that may be occasioned by the exercise, including the long-distance travels they may have to embark upon during the period.
“The exercise, as it were, is always a very rigorous one involving travels across the entire regions of our great country. Ad–hoc staff as is usually the case can be posted to any part of the country and to very remote places far away from the places of origin.
“Considering the ongoing difficulty in accessing the new Naira notes, coupled with staying at home for five days during the exercise, Nigerians would definitely face difficulties that need to be also considered by the Commission.
“Muslims who may have to travel to remote non – Muslim areas to discharge that assignment officially, may not even find a conducive environment to observe their Ramadan spiritual duties like TARAWIH PRAYERS at night, the SAHUR and IFTAR, TAFSEER, etc.”
In light of the above observations therefore, the Islamic Forum of Nigeria fervently appeals to the Federal Government of Nigeria to consider the plight of a community well above One-Hundred and Twenty Million (120,000,000) and prevail on the National Population Commission to postpone the exercise to a more conducive and convenient time after Ramadan.
