The Islamic Forum of Nigeria has called on the Federal Government to, as a matter of great concern to Islam, shift the forthcoming national population census slated for March/April 2023, which they said has coincided with Ramadan.
The forum, in a release signed by its General Secretary, Professor Salisu Shehu, commended the Federal Government for its resolve and commitment to conduct the exercise this year as it has been long overdue, but it appealed for the postponement to allow Muslims conduct their fastings with ease.
Shehu said the exercise as it were is always a very rigorous one involving travels across the entire regions of the country, adding that the ad-hoc staff, as is usually the case, can be posted to any part of the country and indeed to very remote places far away from their places of origin.
“That the exercise as per the dates scheduled to hold coincides with the month of Ramadan when all Muslims worldwide will be observing their obligatory fasting.
“That Muslims all over the country, both the staff involved and the people to be enumerated will find it difficult to cope with the hardship that may be occasioned by travels in long distances and the actual rigors of the exercise.
“Considering the ongoing difficulty in the new bank notes scarcity, coupled with staying at home for five days during the exercise, Nigerians will definitely face more difficulties that need to be considered also by the National Population Commission.
“That generally, Muslims, especially those that will travel to remote non-Muslim areas will not even find the convenience and the conducive environment to observe their spiritual duties in Ramadan like Tarawih prayers at nights, the Sahur and Iftar, Tafseer,” the statement said.
“In the 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/population well above one hundred and twenty million (120,000,000) and therefore, prevail on the National Population Commission to postpone the exercise to a more conducive and convenient time after Ramadan,” he added.
