BY: ABDULLAHI ALHASSAN, KADUNA
As the 2024 Eid-El Kabir celebration approaches, Pastor Dr. Yohanna Buru, General Overseer of Christ Evangelical and Life Intervention Ministry in Southern Kaduna, Northwestern Nigeria has initiated a campaign to tour ram-selling points across the region. Accompanied by top Muslim lmams and preachers, his goal is to persuade sellers to lower the prices of rams and other livestock for the Sallah festivities.
In a recent media chat in Kaduna, Pastor Buru announced that over 100 Muslim imams, Alarammas, and members of the Council of Muslim Preachers have been mobilized to join this campaign. Their mission is to appeal to livestock sellers to reduce prices, enabling more Muslims to afford animals for the celebration.
Pastor Buru and the group visited various livestock selling points in Kaduna on Friday, extending season’s greetings to the sellers and appealing for lower prices. The aim is to make rams and other animals more affordable for the Sallah celebration.
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Highlighting the necessity of this intervention, Pastor Buru noted that price hikes have made these animals unaffordable for many Muslims.
The group toured several roadside livestock markets, including those selling sheep, goats, and cattle, as buyers began their preparations for the festivities.
For the past decade, Pastor Buru has visited ram markets during this season, consistently urging sellers to lower prices to make rams more affordable for Muslims. He emphasized that such efforts also enhance and strengthen Christian-Muslim relationships in the State.
This year’s Eid-el-Kabir celebration comes amidst high living costs, security challenges, and the devaluation of the Naira. Pastor Buru pointed out that sheep are more desirable than goats and cattle during this period, and that Eid al-Adha generates high profits for roadside livestock traders in Nigeria.
Pastor Buru wished Muslims worldwide a happy Sallah in advance and expressed hope for reduced prices. He also acknowledged the contributions of Hajiya Ramatu Tijjani, who has consistently supported poor Christian widows and orphans during Christmas and Easter with bags of grains and other foodstuffs.
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Similarly, Imam Husaini Ilyasu, Chief Imam of Udawa Central Mosque and a leader within the Jama’atul Nasrul Islam (JNI) Kaduna, emphasized the need for ram sellers to lower their prices for the Sallah festivities. He also called on other food sellers to reduce their prices, allowing Muslims to celebrate with joy and happiness.
Imam Ilyasu highlighted the importance of joining hands with Pastor Dr. Yohanna Buru in continuous prayers and fasting for divine intervention in the current global situation. He thanked Pastor Buru for mobilizing pastors and imams to visit markets and encourage fair business practices.
Responding to the clerics’ appeal, a ram seller along Waff Road in Kaduna, Musa Ɗanlami, explained that the rising cost of living has impacted all sectors. He noted that the cost of feeding rams and other animals is extremely high, with many rams sourced from distant locations. He added that the removal of fuel subsidies in the country has triggered price increases across the board.