Vice President,
Larger Accra Regional Minister,
Minister for Chieftaincy and Spiritual Affairs,
Minister for Internal Town and Zongo Progress,
Chief Govt of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly,
National Main Imam,
Zongo Chiefs,
Ulama,
Jama!
I greet you in the identify of Islam, Salam Alaikum!
We give many thanks and praise to the Almighty for guiding us by way of the thirty day period of Ramadan. I mail hearty congratulations to the Muslim Ummah in Ghana and all over the planet for a thriving completion of the quick of Ramadan, even beneath the extremely hard and making an attempt instances occasioned by the Coronavirus pandemic, which has, inter alia, curtailed the regular celebration of the Eid at Black Star Square.
On the other hand, I commend the Ghana Broadcasting Company for stepping up to the plate, and creating it possible, through digital suggests, to rejoice this year’s Eid, just as it did in facilitating the virtual celebration of this year’s Could Day. These are the good uses of a community broadcasting network.
This year’s Ramadan rapidly will continue being exceptional in Islamic historical past as a person that was observed with out the typical things to do and excitement that occur with the Ramadan fast. Muslims have experienced to fast with no the conventional iftar, tafsir, tarawih and tahajjud prayers. I know that, for numerous of you, this has been a extremely hard sacrifice to make, because these activities, in the consciousness of all Muslims, cloak the thirty day period of Ramadan in sanctity and holiness. And, so, I salute you for these sacrifices that you have built for our collective fantastic.
Much more importantly, you have created these sacrifices, especially, to help save human lives. Indeed, the Qur’an states that, and I quotation, “…if everyone saved a daily life, it would be as if he saved the entire of humanity…” (Q:5: 32). Your adherence to the safety protocols that governing administration put in spot to fight the virus has, for that reason, saved many lives, for which we are all grateful.
I applaud the management of the Muslim Ummah – the Countrywide Main Imam, Sheikh Dr Osman Nuhu Sharubutu the Ameer of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission, Maulvi Mohammed Bin Salih the Imam of the Ahl-Sunna, Al-Hajj Ibrahim Umar the Qaid of the Shia Community, Shaykh Kamaldeen Abubakar the Khalifa of the Tijaniyya Muslim Council, Sheikh Abul Faidi Ahmed Maikano and the Imam of the Ghana Muslim Mission, Shaykh Amin Bonsu, for their higher feeling of patriotism and determination to Ghana, and to the wellbeing of the Muslim faithful.
I am equally indebted to the Countrywide Council of Zongo Chiefs, who have worked tirelessly, and go on to operate, to ensure that security protocols are adhered to in the different Zongo communities. Insha Allah, your names will be printed in indelible ink when we occur to create the historical past of our battle and ultimate defeat of COVID-19.
Vice President, Nationwide Chief Imam, Ulama, Jama! Govt proceeds to commit by itself to making a modern society of opportunities for all, irrespective of social circumstance, position of abode or religious creed. The Zongo Improvement Fund, less than the path of the energetic Minister for Inner City and Zongo Development, Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, is pursuing an aggressive improvement agenda, as established out in Government’s Economic and Social Enhancement Agenda.
From Togorme Zongo in the Volta Area, by way of Dambai Zongo in the Oti Area, to Tumu Zongo in the Upper West Area, down to Axim Zongo in the Western Area, numerous growth assignments are springing up to tackle the progress deficits of Zongo communities. When I resolved Muslim devoted on the situation of Eid ul-Fitr last year, on 5th June 2019, I designed very clear that the Zongo advancement agenda is a challenge that seems substantial. Certainly, it is no imply obstacle, getting on the activity of reworking the lives of around five million Ghanaians scattered in additional than 3 thousand (3,000) communities across the nation.
But, if we are to make a culture of inclusion and not of exclusion, then it is a problem that we will have to take on, and get over. Ulama, Jama! The undertaking is significant, but more substantial nevertheless is our resolve to deliver prosperity to all our persons. Although Federal government does its part to guarantee the improvement of human money in Zongo communities, I urge you to ponder on the initial set of verses of the Qur’an to be disclosed to the Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu Allayhi Wa’Salam, and I quotation: “Read! In the name of your Lord who created…who taught guy by the pen. Taught guy what he did not know” (Q: 96:1-5).
If the initial commandment to the Prophet, from Allah, was to “Read,” then Islam is meant to be a religion of understanding. I, therefore, continue on to admonish you to choose your little ones to faculty. Let us take gain of the Cost-free Senior Substantial College programme and the educational interventions that the Ministry of Internal Town and Zongo Improvement is producing in Zongo communities, to educate our young children, equally male and woman, and be certain that, in just this technology, we can eradicate poverty, illiteracy and illness from our country.
Ghana carries on to be the envy of the environment, mainly because of the spiritual harmony that we foster amid adherents of various faiths. I urge you to carry on to promote spiritual harmony and tranquil co-existence. It is the essence of Islam, which suggests peace and submission to the will of Allah.
I am quite hopeful that, future calendar year, Muslims in the country will congregate as they have performed over the a long time, and rejoice Eid ul-Fitr completely and without the need of any constraints. We will go again, in joy, to Black Star Sq.. But, till then, it is critical that we carry on to maintain the actions of improved hygiene and social distancing protocols to consist of the unfold of the virus, as they are the surest way to a brief return to a daily life of normalcy. Stakeholder consultations are taking area on the way ahead towards the easing of restrictions, so that our social and financial lives can go again to standard. I assume these consultations to conclude this week, so that I can announce to Ghanaians a distinct roadmap for easing the constraints. We have to uncover a way back again, but in security, for we cannot be under these limits without end.
I am fortified in this see by three (3) factors.
To start with, sad however any untimely death is, the tough simple fact is that the level of deaths in Ghana amongst confirmed situations is incredibly reduced – one for each one particular million, i.e. .0001%, 1 of the least expensive in Africa, and, certainly, in the entire world, this, regardless of the extremely significant amount of tests we are carrying out. This has been so considering that the pretty commencing of the outbreak about two (2) months in the past. The range of favourable instances stands at 6 thousand, 6 hundred and eighty-a few (6,683), out of one particular hundred and ninety-4 thousand, 7 hundred and sixty-a few (194,763) checks conducted, with a person thousand, nine hundred and ninety-eight (1,998) recoveries.
This implies that our positivity amount, that is the ratio of confirmed instances to the overall quantity of exams carried out, is 3.43%, which, again, is a single of the most affordable in Africa, and in the environment. In addition, just about all the 30-two (32) corona-similar deaths, that have so considerably been recorded, had been of persons with, what the health professionals contact, comorbidity, i.e. with other underlying results in and illnesses. Most of them died within just 20-4 (24) hours of admission to hospital. May possibly their souls rest in peace. It seems that, by the grace of God, Ghanaians are not dying of this virus in the figures that were at first predicted and feared.
Secondly, the quantities of serious virus situations that have been hospitalised have been persistently minimal considering the fact that the outbreak. The panic that our hospitals would be overburdened, and, without a doubt, overwhelmed has, so much, yet again by the grace of God, not materialised. As we communicate, there are sixteen (16) severe circumstances in six (6) hospitals throughout the state, none of them on a ventilator. We pray for their fast recovery.
Thirdly, we now have a much more strong mechanism for enforcing our central approach of defeating the virus – the software of the 3Ts, tracing, tests and managing. The tracing groups are extra expert and additional efficient tests capabilities are no for a longer period concentrated in Accra and Kumasi, but spread far more evenly throughout the country in Ho, Tamale, Navrongo, Takoradi and Cape Coastline treating potential has been noticeably increased with isolation services superior distributed throughout the nation.
These developments, and continuing solid adherence to the social distancing and hygiene protocols, together with wearing masks and strengthening our immune devices by eating our personal meals, will empower us to facial area the long term with greater confidence, as we fight to defeat the virus, and pray for our healthcare personnel. And, it is suitable that we should close this unique Ramadan with this declaration of self-confidence in the long run, because, as I have said, this way too shall go! For the Struggle is the Lord’s!!
I desire all Muslims and Ghanaians a happy Eid ul-Fitr, even if a restrained a single. Hopefully, the Almighty has listened to the cry of the devoted, via His Mercy, with which he envelopes the month of Ramadan.
Could God bless us all, and our homeland Ghana, and make her terrific and solid.
Eid Mubarak! Barika da Salah! Salam Alaikum!
