Ondo Muslim farmers in Ekiti deprived celebrations

As interstate transportation restrictions continued in Ondo State many Akoko Muslim faithful who are farming in Ekiti State could not come home to celebrate Eid-el fitri celebration due to high cost of transport fares charged by commercial vehicles.

Yusuf Aladetohun, one of the farmers, who spoke with newsmen narrated his ordeals on how drivers charged them exorbitantly under the pretext that passengers of vehicles had been reduced by government and transportation agencies hence they needed to increase fares for the few.

Another excuse was that they usually tip those at border posts before they were allowed to pass.

The affected farmers stranded were in Aisegba, Imesi Eda Ikole and Ara Ikole farms due to lack of transport fares .

This increase of transport fares was not limited to Ekiti farmers alone, as Ikare to Lagos now costs N6,000 to N7,000 as against N3,000 while similar situation happened in Ikare to Onitsha, Ikare to Abuja and other routes.

An Akunu Akoko community leader, Chief Ladi Bello explained that federal government reduced the price of fuel twice to cushion the effects of hardship brought by COVID 19 pandemic yet Shylock transporters still make things difficult for few travellers on an emergency outing.

A Muslim Cleric, Sheikh Razak Atareaku wondered why some section of Muslim Umah in Nigeria flouted the order of President General Nigerian supreme council for Islamic Affairs, Said Abubakar and went to praying ground and celebrated with fanfare.

Speaking in the same vein the Chairman, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs in Akoko Northeast local government area of the state, Sheik Abudul Ganny Bello condemned what he watched on television and radio on Sunday in the Northern parts of country as very embarrassing.

The cleric urged Nigerians not to regard pandemic ravaging every part of the world as a joke but to see it as reality.