Yuletide/New Year Festivities: Worship centres, revellers shun FG’s COVID-19 order

CROSS RIVER

Worship service at the Mount Zion Life Full Gospel Church located at No. 1, Atimbo Road in Calabar observed no COVID-19 protocols. The church was filled to capacity with many people standing.

It has a sitting capacity of 800peoplebutaninfluxof visitors who came to support those that celebrated various events with family and friends nearly outnumbered members of the church. For instance, a couple who wedded only January 1, came for thanksgiving with his admirers while the family of the state Correspondent of The Nation, Mr. Gill Nsa, also marked the one year anniversary of the death of their mother with a large number of friends and family members congregating to support them.

Besides, there were a number of people who were elevated to various ministerial positions and who were formally given “the right hand of fellowship” and they all came with their admirers.

However, neither social distance was observed nor did anybody was seen wearing a face mask. Notwithstanding the crowd, everybody sat in close proximity as chairs were hardly enough to go round.

 

FCT ABUJA

 

Checks around some churches in some communities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) showed that the government’s directive that worship centres should limit attendance to 50 per cent of their capacity were grossly disobeyed.

 

Many of the worship centres within Kobi community, a suburb of Guzape District, did not only fail to comply with the directive, but also disregarded the non-pharmaceutical protocols of wearing face masks and washing their hands.

Worshipers at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Redeemed Christian Church of God and the Assemblies of God, in the community were not conscious of the ravaging pandemic.

The story was the same  at the ECWA and COCIN churches, except that some worshipershadthefacemasks hanging below their jaws. A worshipper at the ECWA church who did not want his namementioned, evendoubted that the pandemic was still active in the country.

According to the middle aged man, COVID-19 that exists now is “A political variant that is helping the government justify the money it collects from donor agencies”.

In another part of the capital city, and following the surge in cases of COVID- 19, places of worship in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have strengthened the enforcement of the safety protocols.

At the 10am mass, which was conducted by the Emeritus Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, our Correspondent observed that inside the church, social distancing was strictly observed as the number of people per pew was reduced.

Only three worshippers were allowed to sit on a seat originally meant for eight persons.

 

KADUNA

 

Contrary to the directive of the Federal Government that churches across the country should adhere to 50 per cent capacity, many churches in Kaduna State and environs failed to adhere strictly to the directive.

New Telegraph gathered however that many of the churches were not full to capacity because many of the worshipers had travelled for the festive season, especially the new year celebration.

In the southern part of the state where majority of the churches were located in Kaduna metropolis, our Correspondent could not identify if any of the churches announced to its members the need to limit attendance. At the Liberty Outreach Centre, in the Ungwan Pama Area of Kaduna,

Chikun Local Government Area, many worshipers just trooped into the church without restrictions. However, one of the church members told our Correspondent that even though they were aware of the coronavirus, the church did not have the population and crowd to be worried about the coronavirus pandemic.

Also at the Christ Spring of Water Ministries in the Sabon Tasha area of Kaduna metropolis, the church carried on with its services oblivious of the directive of the Federal Government.

Our correspondent sited many people coming out of the church premises unperturbed by any protocol. Efforts to speak with one of the church workers was not successful as he said they were not aware of the Federal Government:s directive, “It is only God that protects, ” he replied rhetorically.

ENUGU

 

Churches in Enugu metropolis recorded half of their carrying capacities as most congregants travelled to villages and other places to observe holidays. For instance, at the Holy Ghost Catholic Cathedral, Enugu yesterday, half of the seats were empty. At St. Joseph Catholic Church,

 

Emene, Enugu, the situation was the same as the church recorded half of its capacity due to the fact that most worshipers had travelled for the holidays.

At the Living Faith Church, aka Winners Chapel, at Winers Way, Ogui New Layout, Enugu, the church recorded low turnout of worshippers. Our Correspondent observed that most churches that usually have three services before now resorted to having only one service during the yuletide.

 

A Catholic worshipper, Mr. Ralph Onyebuchi, who didn’t travel for the holiday told our Correspondent that his church has been witnessing half of its capacity since the yuletide.

“You can’t use this period to know whether churches are observing 50 per cent capacity or not, because most people traveled during this time because of the Christmas and New Year holidays. “I suspect that if anything, churches in the villages will be filled to the brim because of the high number of returnees.”

KWARA

The Kwara State government did not enforce the Federal Government’s directive on 50per centprotocolguidelinesin churchesacrossthestate. Infact, the state’s COVID-19 Technical Committee has not issued any statementinthatregard. At the C&S Church Movement,

Muritala Mohammed Way, Ilorin, the church was full to the brim. Besides, there was no sufficient spacing among members and there was also no provision of sanitizer for use by members, while a very insignificant number wore face masks.

ItwasthesamethingatThe WordAssembly, alongOffaGarage Road, Ilorin.

The church operated in full capacity. Besides, other protocol guidelines likeuseof sanitizer, facemasks weretotallydisregarded. When our Correspondent sent a Whatsapp message to Rafiu Ajakaye, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who is also the Publicity Secretary of the state COVID-19 Technical Committee, on this disturbing issue, he has not responded up till the time of filing this report.

 

ONDO

Most churches in Akure, theOndoStatecapitalflouted the directive of the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on COVID-19 on the restriction of indoor religious gathering to 50 per cent.

 

While monitoring the situation within Akure metropolis, New Telegraph observed that being the first Sunday of 2022, more worshippers turned up for service than the previous Sundays.

At Christ Apostolic Church (Oke Itura), Oyemekun axis of Akure, the church was filled with worshippers but observed the 50 per cent restriction order. Meanwhile, on each pew, three people were allowed to sit as the church effectively ensured spacing among worshippers.

Also, more than half of the church used face masks while officials of the church who were stationed at the entrance of the church ensured that the worshippers washed their hands with the water and soap provided before they were allowed into the church.

 

At the Redeemed Christian Church of God (Faith Tabernacle), Oba-Ile, the church did not only have more than 50 per cent congregation, but it partially flouted the public health protocols of COVID-19.

 

At the church, the use of face masks was not strictly enforced as well as the use of hand sanitizer.

NIGER

In Niger State, Christians who had their first Sunday services did not observe the COVID-19protocolsof social distancing as members and worshipperstroopedintheir numbers to attend the New Year service.

 

At the St. Michael Catholic Cathedral, Minna, some worshippers who attended the service wore face masks while others stayed outside all through the service. The 50 per cent capacity was not observed.

At the St Peter Anglican Cathedral, Minna, worshippers did not observe the COVID-19 protocols except for a few who had their face masks on.

 

Although the sitting arrangement changed, in some areas members were clustered.

 

When our Correspondent spoke with the state Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Mathias Echioda, he said, Christians can go to churches to have their services but should try as much as possible to observe the COVID-19 protocols.

 

BAYELSA

In Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, churches conducted their services as usual. Of course Bayelsa State has not been so obsessed about this COVID-19 thing as the state did not record many deaths due to the seriousness the state government attached to it then.

 

Even as the state government battled the virus with a human face, people were allowed to move around without any hitch.

People were allowed to do their normal businesses even though other states were locked down.

 

At Dunamis Church, Yenagoa branch, the second service was full to capacity as church members observed their services without any hitch. There was no sign of observance of COVID-19 protocols as at when this reporter got to the church.

 

A member of the church who declined to comment, asked whether this reporter wanted to hear anything from him.