In a recent development, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) yesterday submitted to the PTF their guidelines for the reopening of worship centers.
Part of the recommendations by CAN, which was led by Chairman, North Central Rev Dr Israel Akanji and the FCT CAN Chairman Rev Dr Jonah Samson, was that churches should disinfect their premises before reopening while physical distancing should be observed in sitting arrangements with a one-metre space between two worshippers.
The association provided that, for a start, churches should hold one-hour services and that all Sunday services should end by 5:30 p.m. Also, to avoid crowding, there should be a 10-minute lapse between multiple services.
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Others are: churches should provide alcoholic sanitisers, temperature readers, soap and water on their premises to be supervised by medical professionals in the church; every worshipper must use soap to wash his/her hands or apply sanitisers; the temperature of worshippers must be screened before they are admitted and people with the high recordings should be advised to see a doctor.
Every worshipper must wear a face mask; churches may use classrooms and multipurpose halls for services, where available, to accommodate more worshippers at once, and TV circuit and speakers can be used for those who are not inside the main auditorium.
Handshaking and hugging should be avoided before, during and after the service; children should worship with their parents; prayers should be offered to God for a speedy end of COVID-19 and quick recovery of patients; CAN would constitute a committee alongside law enforcement agencies to ensure compliance.
The NSCIA wanted worship to be held at the same hour in accordance with Qur’anic injunctions while children should be exempted. The PTFpromised to prepare its own recommendations, which would be presented to President Muhammadu Buhari. The president would, in turn, peruse the document and deliver his resolution at a national broadcast expected on Monday.
Meanwhile, in a statement earlier in the week, CAN President Rev. Supo Ayokunle said: “As a law-abiding institution, the church in Nigeria and the Christian association that binds all of us together complied, hitherto, with government’s directive suspending churches services for the past eight weeks now.
“The church is well prepared for resumption of worship. We are in discussions with the agents of the Federal Government and are drawing the guidelines that churches would follow in order not to endanger the life of any worshipper and equally prevent COVID-19 infection.
“We are sure of compliance if the government allows our compliance team to work hand-in-hand with their law enforcement agents to monitor compliance. If the government didn’t entertain any fear in opening markets and banks, which are not as organised as the church, why should government entertain fear about the compliance of the church?
“We are hopeful that latest, by the first Sunday in June, all our churches would open again for congregational worship under COVID-19 prevention regulations. As I said before, we are consulting with the government on this.”
