The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has criticised the Presidential Task Force on COVID -19 Control for its advisory that people who are 55 years and above should avoid worship centres.
The PTF coordinator, Dr. Aliyu Sani, who gave the advisory on Tuesday, said that category of people is vulnerable to Coronavirus pandemic, adding that “due to the nature of religious congregation, places of worship are particularly recognised to have a major potential for spreading COVID-19 infection”.
But CAN Secretary Joseph Daramola said those that are advised to stay away are “the people that are core church members.”
“If you are restricting me from church, what message are you passing? Who is going to enforce that? There should be fundamental human rights. Government wants to meet international standards and they are doing it in the wrong way. We are frowning at it”.
The CAN chief said the body supported the released guidelines. He said the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammed Bello, had constituted a committee to look into the reopening of worship centres.
Daramola said: “We held a meeting with the minister and the committee yesterday (Tuesday). The committee will now take all these guidelines agreed upon by the committee to the minister for endorsement. And it will be done before Sunday.
“The Federal Government has ordered that the PTF protocols should be adhered to by the governors. As for us in the FCT, the minister has set up a committee to look into the issue. CAN and the Islamic Council are major players in the committee.
“Among those things that will be put forward to the minister are protocols on COVID-19. Church members are to be reduced in number. Washing of hands before entering the church and keeping social distancing among other rules.
“We know that the measures are painful but if they are to save us, why don’t we adhere to them. We should obey the authority because even the Bible is in support that we should obey the authority. And we should be mindful of our health”.
The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) advised muslims to continue their prayers at home until further notice.
While welcoming the Federal Government’s decision to reopen worship centres with the guidelines, the religious body said: “We are still studying the guidelines. Even though we are part of it and we have bought into it, we are still studying the situation and guidelines”.
NSCIA spokesman Aselemi Ibrahim, added: “religious leaders have a huge role to play in this regard because the people largely listen to them than to our political leaders, because up till now, there are still people who believe that COVID-19 is one huge scam”.
Ibrahim said: “We welcome the idea, but with a lot of caution. We want to believe that the decision to reopen places of worship may have been well-informed.
“Muslims and mosques are still waiting for us to issue a formal directive. However, for any mosque or any Islamic organisation that wants to reopen, our advice is that such places most have all it takes to abide by PTF guidelines. We also advise that mosques be properly disinfected before opening.
“But it is better and save to still carry out the act of worship at home until further notice. This is our stand. You need to be alive to worship God and we do not want a situation where in an attempt to worship God we escalate what we already have on ground by spreading the virus. It is safer to pray at home until further notice.
“Because there are some persons who are overzealous and over religious and they want to go to the mosque and that is why we have advised adherence to the protocols.
“As soon as modalities are put in place, the NSCIA meeting will hold. The meeting will not be up to a week. If we must defeat this COVID-19, all hands must be on deck.” (The Nation)
