BUHARI TO DECIDE ON REOPENING OF CHURCHES, MOSQUES AS RCCG DISH OUT ORDERS ON PREPARATIONS TO PASTORS

Chairman PTF and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha has disclosed  that BUHARI will decide the reopening of churches and mosques this week.

He said this while responding to a question on states reopening worship centres, said the issue was discussed at the meeting while briefing the media.

He said, “That is part of what we have considered in its totality. We await Mr President’s decision on that. Once I receive his approval, going forward, as to certain recommendations that we have put in place, we will see how that happens.

“The issue of easing up, you know we were in the first phase and we had an extension of two weeks for the first phase. The next phase should be the second phase and along with that, we came with a lot of recommendations which we expect Mr President to consider.

“I can assure you of one thing: the ownership of the next phase will be the responsibility of the states under national supervision and coordination, because we have gone into community transmission. Where are the communities? The communities are in the states.

“So, the ownership of the next phase will be that of the states, the local governments, the traditional institutions, the religious leaders at the different levels of our communities. That is where the problem is.

“Like we have kept saying, 20 local governments (areas) out of 744 account for 60 per cent of confirmed cases in Nigeria today. So, where are these 20 local governments? They are in the communities. It means that we have reached the epitome of community transmission, so we must get the communities involved.”

The SGF also said the PTF had reviewed the issues of places of worship, schools and businesses, saying “we have made the appropriate recommendations.”

He added, “But you know that Mr President is the only one that can take decisions in respect of that. In the framework, the states are sub-nationals; they have their own responsibilities too. So, it is in the exercise of those responsibilities that they met with religious bodies and agreed on the protocols and guidelines on how to open up. But in the framework of the national response, we are taking that into consideration.”

When asked if the economy would be opened soon, the PTF chairman said, “We have started, even in the first phase and the extension that came with it. The essential part of the economy was opened up by way of allowing agricultural production and people who produce fertiliser. The oil and gas industry was never closed for one day. Haulage, refining and prospecting continued. Some parts of the financial sector were opened.

“After we receive the approval of Mr President tonight or tomorrow (Monday) morning, we will now know which (other) segment of the economy is allowed to open.”

Mustapha also disclosed that the issue of Kogi  State, which had refused to welcome Federal Government’s initiatives on the pandemic, was tabled before Buhari. He noted that efforts were being made to bring all states on board.

Meanwhile, proprietors of private schools on Sunday rejected the plan by the Federal Government to convert their facilities to isolation centres for COVID-19 patients.

The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire had, on February 28 asked schools and hotels to be prepared in the event of a shortage of bed spaces for patients.

But  in a statement on Sunday,  the  President of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, Yomi Otubela, said  the NAPPS rejected the idea.

He said, “Private school owners will not and never allow the use of their facilities for isolation centres.”

RCCG issues guidelines for resumption of services, stops children church

Also,  the Reedemed Christian Church of God has issued a seven-page guidelines for all its parishes.

According to the guidelines, which it called “Church re-opening strategy,” children churches in all the parishes will remain closed in the event that the government decides to reopen worship centres.

The Assistant General Overseer (Admin/Personnel), Pastor J. F. Odesola, in a May 28, 2020 memo, addressed the guidelines to all the church’s assistants general overseer, special assistants to the general overseer, as well as pastors in charge of regions and provinces.

Nigeria’s COVID-19 cases on Sunday exceeded 10,000 according to a statement by the Nigeria Centre for Diesease Control on its website.

Copyright PUNCH.