By Joyce Remi- Babayeju
As residents get ready for new year eve crossover prayer gathering, a combined team from relevant agencies of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) visited selected mega churches in the Capital City with sensitisation campaign to enforce strict compliance to COVID-19 non-pharmaceutical protocols.
The team who went round selected churches in the nation’s capital city made strong appeal to the religious leaders to ensure strict compliance wit the sapproved 50 % hall capacity for worship centres.
Churches visited during the campaign include The First Baptist Church, Redeemed Christian Church of God, Central Parish, Wuse 2, and the Glory Dome of Dunamis International Gospel Centre (DIGC), along Abuja Airport Road, Lugbe District of Abuja.
This was in view of heightened fears of expected uncontrolled crowed during the annual religious gatherings which may further spike the rising COVID-19 cases in the territory.
The FCT Administration said that with the nature of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, already ravaging in FCT, in addition to the known overcrowding tradition of worship centres during the end of year crossover service in Churches, it was necessary to appeal to religious groups to adopt the recommended health guidelines.
Addressing representatives of the Churches visited, the FCT Minister’s Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement, Ikharo Attah said the decision to visit mega churches that has large followers and tendencies for overcrowding was to avert a situation capable of destroying stakeholders’ investments and efforts at containing the pandemic.
Attah appealed to the church leaders to introduce measures that will aid total compliance with both non- pharmaceutical interventions and other health protocols during the crossover night worship.
He further warned that FCT Administration would hold church and religious leaders responsible for any breach, leading to health emergency in their domains.
The Director, Public Health Department of FCTA, Dr. Abduralman Sadiq, noted that the sensitization visit became necessary following the growing numbers of COVID-19 cases in the FCT.
Sadiq lamented that inspite of measures put in place, the territory is still recording increasing cases of the pandemic.
He nited that admission and death related to Omicron variant of the COVID-19 have been rising astronomically.
He disclosed that although most COVID-19 Isolation centres in Abuja were emptied, they are now getting crowd as a result of the spike,as he informed w one death was recorded on Thursday(yesterday), in one of the treatment centres.
Speaking on behalf of others, Chairman, FCT Chapter, Christian Association of Nigeria,( CAN), Rev. Samson Jonah, who was physically present when the team visited the First Baptist Church, in Garki, said the Association had directed all Churches to limit gathering in their worship centres to half its capacity.
Jonah also noted that the Christian Community in Abuja will continue to support government’s efforts, and will also intensify prayers for the elimination of the diseases.
