THE Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has asked state governments to reopen worship centres across the nation stating that the closure is ‘no longer acceptable and reasonably justified’.
Samson Ayokunle, the President of CAN said this in a statement signed by Adebayo Oladeji, his Special Assistant on Media and Communications on Tuesday.
“Samson ‘Supo Ayokunle, on behalf of the Association, has called on all State governments that are yet to reopen churches under their watches to do so now because the continued lockdown order on the places of worship is no longer acceptable and reasonably justified,” the statement read.
Ayokunle bemoaned the closure of worship centres by state governments despite the directive by the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19.
“Despite the directive given by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 with regards to the re-opening of places of worship nationwide, some states like Lagos and Ogun are yet to allow worship places, especially churches, to be reopened. What sin have the places of worship committed,”he said.
Questioning the rationale behind the continued closure, Ayokunle noted that markets have been opened and airports and schools are about to open but some states are still insistent on not reopening worship centres.
“With the reopening of the economy, especially the markets (both organized and the unorganised markets) along with the plan to reopen airports and schools, the closure of churches anywhere in the country is no longer tenable and acceptable,” he further said.
“In what way are the opened and roadside markets more organized than the church which warranted their opening? Is it not our members in the places of worship that do go to markets and other sectors opened? Why are they allowed to go to markets and disallowed from going to places of worship? Is it because the marketers cannot contract the virus in the markets and airports.
“It is our opinion that while the government and other relevant stakeholders are working hard to get a cure for the COVID-19 pandemic, the Church too has a role to play by seeking for divine solutions as well.”
Lagos, Osun, Kwara and Ogun state governments have retained the ban on worship centres after the Presidential task force had given a go-ahead to reopening of worship centres.
Lukman Abolade is an Investigative reporter with The ICIR. Reach out to him via [email protected], on twitter @AboladeLAA and FB @Correction94