As the Muslim Ummah end the Ramadan fast following the formal declaration of the Eid el fitri celebration by the President General of the Nigerian Supreme Council For Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), His Eminence, Alhaji Saad Abubakar 11, the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Dr Boboye Oyeyemi has sent his congratulatory message on the successful completion of the spiritual exercise. In his Eid el fitri message, Oyeyemi preaches love for one another, peaceful coexistence and care for the less privileged members of the society, saying these are the values of the Ramadan fast which people must imbibe beyond the Sallah celebrations.

The Corps Marshal called on the Muslim Ummah to sustain the positive lessons of the Ramadan fast, noting that acts of denial; selfless service and love which were practiced in the holy month are central to the success of the safer road campaign by the FRSC. He emphasised that the wanton destruction of lives and property on the nation’s highways resulting from people’s impatience would been avoided, if people properly imbibe the lessons of the Ramadan fast.

In the press release signed by the Corps Public Education Officer, Bisi Kazeem, the FRSC Corps Marshal was quoted as expressing satisfaction with people’s conduct throughout the period of the holy month particularly, with regards to the observance of the lockdown orders by the Federal Government; temporal closure of worship centres and adherence to social distancing rules to avoid the spread of COVID-19. He therefore admonished the Muslims as well as members of the general public not to jettison the rules in the course of the celebration, but to continue to observe them in order to build on the gains so far made in the fight against the spread of the infectious disease.

The FRSC Corps Marshal urged the Muslim Ummah to use the period of the Eid el fitri celebration to offer special prayers for Allah’s intervention against the coronavirus which is traumatising the entire humanity. He restated the commitment of the FRSC to sustaining its present collaboration with other security agencies towards effective enforcement of the restriction orders using the instrumentalities of Mobile Courts and strict observance of the social distancing rules. “This year’s Eid el fitri is coming at a very challenging period when the entire humanity is grappling with the challenges caused by lockdown, restriction of movement and social distancing rules in the face of the global pandemic caused by coronavirus. Every citizen must, therefore, support the measures put in place by the Federal Government to contain the spread of the disease,” the Corps Marshal stated.

Oyeyemi further reassured members of the public that despite the lockdown and restriction of movement across the States of the federation, FRSC personnel have always been active in working with other security agencies to ensure compliance with the rules while the Corps’ essential offices have remained open to respond to road and other emergencies. He disclosed that Commanding Officers across the country have been given directives to be on the alert during the Sallah celebration to provide all necessary support to members of the public and to particularly attend to whatever emergencies that may arise.

He called on members of the public to join the FRSC in its ongoing campaigns for safer road environment by promptly reporting any road and other emergencies they notice to the FRSC Call Centre through the toll free line: 122 or directly to the studio of the National Traffic Radio through the telephone lines:08052998090 or 09067000015. “I wish all the Muslim Ummah Allah’s abundant rewards for the Ramadan fast, and on this occasion of the Eid el fitri celebration, I pray for peaceful celebration to all,” Corps Marshal Oyeyemi stated.