*By Israel Adamu, Jos*
Churches in Jos and Bukuru Metropolis strictly complied with Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s Executive Order 003 on Sunday. The order prohibits religious groups from blocking roads during worship activities.
The order also mandates religious centers, including churches and mosques, to submit their building approvals issued by the Jos Metropolitan Development Board (JMDB).
Our correspondent, who visited several churches with the Task Force attached to the JMDB, observed compliance at the Church of Christ In Nations (COCIN) Headquarters, the Living Faith Church Busa Buji, the ECWA Good News Church, and several other worship centers within Jos city.
Mr. Lazarus Abel, a pastor at a Pentecostal church in Rayfield, explained, “We had to adhere to the Executive Order because of the need to support the government in its quest to develop Plateau State.”
“As church leaders, we are constantly advising our congregation to obey the government’s directives. The Executive Order is a law, and nobody can challenge it,” he added.
Mr. Julius Dashe, Chairman of the Task Force, and Mr. Awal Gowal, the Director of Operations, praised the churches in the city for adhering to Executive Order 003. They solicited spiritual leaders to advise their members to be law-abiding citizens and comply with the laid-down laws.
The Plateau State Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Polycarp Lubo, recently expressed support for the government’s executive order and urged people to comply.
The General Manager of the JMDB, Arch Hart Bankat, accompanied by the Director General of the Plateau Environmental Protection and Sanitation Agency (PEPSA), Mr. Samuel Dapiya, also visited parts of the city center to check compliance with the Executive Order.
