The announcement by Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu penultimate Saturday conveying the relaxation of the ban on religious gathering occasioned by the pandemic was greeted with anxiety and ecstasy in equal measure.
Whereas many people believe that it was a good development, Tunde Bakare, pastor and serving overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church (CGCC), warned against the reopening of churches, urging Christians not to let any religious leader or government official to lead them like a sheep to the slaughterhouse.
“I have to appeal to you once again, please keep safe and do your best to stay alive. Do not let anyone, whether religious leader or governmental leader, to drive you like a sheep to the slaughter,” he warned.
According to him, “If they (the government and the disease control authorities) said that the month of August is going to be the peak of the infection, why should they ask people to rush in (re-open the churches) again?
“Please keep safe and do your best to keep alive by adhering to all the necessary rules. We know that by the grace of God this pandemic like the others before it has an expiry date. It shall not see our end. We shall see its end in the mighty name of Jesus.”
Some other worshippers, who received the news with mixed feelings, said it called for caution both from the government and religious leaders.
This is so, because the war against Covid-19 is not yet over; rather Nigeria seems to be reaching the peak of the pandemic, while the world and the World Health Organisation (WHO) are busy working on a possible vaccine to tackle the virus.
“I must say that I was not just surprised but was also elated,” said Sola Idowu of The Ajayi Dahunsi Memorial Baptist Church, Lagos who disclosed to BDSUNDAY that the news about the reopening of places of worship came to him as a surprise.
According to him, some section of the church had set a September date for the reopening of worship centres. Idowu said that the government should have waited for a time when it would be convenient for all to worship centres.
“Children from age 12 downward being asked to stay back at home awakened in me mixed feelings. Really, I wish everyone, children inclusive are allowed to come to Church,” said Idowu.
Similarly, Reverend Israel Kristilere of Shepherdhill Baptist Church, Obanikoro, Lagos, said Children should be allowed in church with their parents. “I see that rule as that of Pharaoh when he told the children of Israel that they can go but must leave their children behind. I think that is an anti-Christian rule; they should revisit it,” Kristilere said.
He also asked government to urgently address all issues raised concerning the guidelines given by the Lagos State Ministry of Home Affairs.
“Out of all the rules set by the Home Affairs; I have seen some discrepancies between what they request from Christians and Muslims. While they only request Muslims to have a register of regular attendant at mosque, they ask Christians to ensure that they have a worship attendant,” he further said.
According to him, the process of filling the attendants’ sheet and sharing writing materials can increase the spread of Covid-19, which he believes has gone beyond the stage of contact tracing.
“I think Lagos needs to step up; we are the ‘State of Excellence’, it is now a community-based issue,” Kristilere added.
Joseph Ojo, the Archbishop of Calvary Kingdom Church (CKC) Lagos, disclosed to BDSUNDAY that easing the lockdown is a good omen for the country and the economy, and the spiritual health of the nation.
“They have used up their human science and methodologies to no avail. They have succeeded in managing the real and the imaginary,” Ojo said, stating that it was a mistake to have excluded God in managing the pandemic.
On how to ensure the safety of all worshippers, Ojo said: “Responsible ministers have all put in place the modus operandi of ensuring that their various congregations are safe and protected.”
Meanwhile, BDSUNDAY has discovered that since the go ahead signal was given to worship centres and schools in Lagos, prices of sanitisers, plastic hand washing equipment and others have hit the roof following the increase in demand.
For instance, when BDSUNDAY visited some markets in Lagos, it was discovered that the price of medium sized ‘plastic bucket bundle with tap,’ which were formerly sold for N2,500 per one, now sells for between N3,500 and N5,000 depending on market locations.
“Prices of sanitisers and plastic hand washing buckets with tap have gone up since the Lagos State Government announced the reopening of schools and worship centres,” said a school owner, who does not want her name in the print.
According to the proprietress, the demand for those equipment has also gone up because school owners and worship centres are trying hard to meet the required protocols as stipulated by the government as well as Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
While stating that her school has made it mandatory for every pupil to have at least one bottle of the smallest pocket hand sanitiser in their possession, she said that the wholesale price of pocket sanitiser, which her school ordered for recently, has also moved up from N250 to N350 per one while the retail price now goes for N600 per one.
Recall that the Federal Government had in March clamped a lockdown on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, Lagos, and Ogun States following the rising number of cases of the Covid-19.
Although, the restrictions targeted the virus’ epicenters like Lagos, Abuja and Ogun State, many other states of the country borrowed a leaf and also introduced similar restrictions.
In an effort to check the spread of the virus, a lot of measures were adopted, including interstate lockdown, compulsory use of facemasks and imposition of curfews.
Although other states have since relaxed restrictions on religious gathering, Lagos State did not toe that path. The state government said it was waiting for an auspicious time to do so as it had not seen much decrease in cases recorded.
As at 4.23pm Thursday, August 6, 2020 a total of 15, 551 confirmed cases had been recorded; 2, 253 patients recovered and discharged while 192 deaths were recorded in Lagos State.
Recall that on June 4, the state government formerly announced plans to reopen places of worship on June 21, 2020.
According to Sanwo-Olu then, mosques were to reopen from June 19 while churches were to begin services from June 21 and only Friday and Sunday services should be held, as other regular services, including night vigils, must be put on hold.
He said that there were to be restricted openings of religious houses based on compliance that we have seen and reviewed with the Safety Commission.
“From 14 days’ time, precisely on the 19th of June for our Muslim worshippers and from the 21st of June for our Christian worshippers, we will be allowing all of our religious bodies to open at a maximum of 40 percent of their capacity and we’ll be working with them as being expected by the Lagos State Safety Commission,” he said.
But 12 days after the announcement, the state government suspended the planned reopening of mosques and churches indefinitely. It explained at the time that it was as a result of the rising cases of the coronavirus pandemic in the state which has been the epicenter of the virus in the country.
At the time of the suspension, Lagos had recorded a total of 7,319 confirmed cases of Covid-19.
Despite the rising cases in Nigeria and Lagos specifically, normal socio-economic, political and religious activities have since commenced in other states, while Lagos continued to adopt “wait and see” tactic.
“We’re very free in Calabar. We go to church on Sundays,” a source said.
Another source, public relations expert based in Abuja confirmed that activities had resumed in the Federal Capital Territory, including religious gatherings.
“Activities are going well. We go out all the time. We’ve not locked down for once in Ibadan. We only have a curfew which starts from 10pm to 5am. Apart from that, you can go wherever you want to. We have parties, weddings, and church programmes in Ibadan every week,” said Babatunde Aderemi John, an Insurance advisor, Leadway Assurance Company, Ibadan Branch.
He added that there were directives on how to move and the church services work with a 25-percent capacity and where the members exceed that number, more services are held and there must be facial coverings and hand-washing devices.
“The same thing applies to the Mosques,” he further said.
But Lagos appeared to be skeptical and remained adamant despite pressure calls for reopening of worship centres.
The Archbishop of Calvary Kingdom Church, Ojo Joseph, said while the governor may have his reasons for keeping religious centers shut, it is ill-advised, because churches and schools employ millions of people.
He said it would have been wise enough to allow the God-factor in the state since buses are allowed to operate, people go to markets and political campaigns are going on in Edo and Ondo States. He called on the government to open the centres with adherence to guidelines.
“These centres should be opened but to allow the churches maintain social distancing, provide hand washing devices, facemasks, and the thermometer for temperature reading. Any church leader that flouts it is not helping the members. We’re ready to abide by it, but they are afraid. The church is a healing place,” Joseph said.
Gbenga Omotosho, commissioner for information, said things are the way they are because the government is following the curve model.
Omotosho, who spoke in a telephone conversation with BDSUNDAY, said experts have said that the cases will rise and peak by this month, and when the cases peak, they will gradually continue to go down.
He said it was all about the safety of lives and property of Lagosians, and that the government will consider opening up when the curve begins to flatten.
“The experts are telling us that this month it’s going to peak and that once it peaks, it will begin to come down gradually. So, we hope that by this month it will begin to come down gradually, I can assure you that the government will consider opening up as much as possible,” he said.
Pitching himself with the government, Reverend Olusola Idowu, of The Ajayi Dahunsi Memorial Baptist Church, Ilasamaja, said the curve is still rising in Lagos State and the time has not come for anyone to relax or let down his guard.
Idowu said with the look of things, the confirmed cases are going down and just as the government said, August will be the peak for Lagos, however, he hoped that in weeks ahead, the progress will be well managed and religious places can be opened by September.
“So, I think, because of the reason they have given, and we’re seeing the results on a daily basis, I think it’s a good reason to be where we are because it’s better for us to be alive and get over this. If we lose days, weeks, months, it’s better than to lose lives,” Idowu said.
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