Ondo state government has threatened to jail any church leader who flouts its ban on crossover services across the state due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It was gathered that the state government through the Ondo State Inter-ministerial Committee on COVID-19 had on December 23, directed that churches are not permitted to hold any service in line with the ongoing curfew, adding that it was to ensure the state records no substantial case during the second wave of the pandemic.
However, in its response, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) declared that it was not aware of the state government’s directive not to hold the crossover service.
The state’s CAN chairman, Rev. John Oladapo, argued that the Christian body was not carried along by the government hence churches should go ahead with the crossover services across the state.
However, the state government in a swift response via a statement by the Chairman, Ondo State Inter-ministerial Committee, Prof. Adesegun Fatusi said:
“As the Technical Advisory body to the State Government on the control of COVID-19 in Ondo State, the Ondo State Inter-ministerial Committee on COVID 19 hereby wishes to draw the attention of the public, particular Christians and Christian groups that COVID-19 is primarily a health issue, and not a religious issue. It is, therefore, not in the domain or area of competence of any religious group and for CAN leadership to indicate that technical decisions on health matters cannot be validly made by the state government without first consulting with the association. This is implausible and absurd.”
“The order of a curfew from 10PM to 4AM is a subsisting public health order that has been in operation for several months and aimed fundamentally at safeguarding the health of the citizens. The decision to maintain the curfew through and beyond 31st December 2020 in Ondo State was taken jointly with a deep sense of responsibility by a body of leading health experts at a meeting convened by the Inter-ministerial committee on Thursday, 24 December 2020, and involving the leadership of the major health professional groups.”
“Government has the primary and primal responsibility to protect and safeguard the health of her people and the Ondo State Dangerous Infectious Diseases (COVID-19 Emergency Prevention Regulation) signed into law on 31st March 2020 empowers the Governor to take relevant actions to curb the spread of the COVID-19, including restriction of movements. The Governor does not need to consult with CAN or any religious or civil group before exercising the power that is duly vested in him by the law of the land.”
“The Inter-Ministerial Committee hereby calls on all the people in Ondo State to celebrate the end of the year with a deep sense of responsibility and a strong commitment to safety and resist any call by anyone, no matter how highly placed, for them to disobey government health order and, therefore, put themselves at the risk of COVID-19 and its consequences as well as legal penalties, including fines and jail terms as specified in the Ondo State COVID-19 laws. Obedience, as the Holy Bible states, is better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22).”