Abiodun Suspends Planned Reopening Of Worship Centres

Abiodun Suspends Planned Reopening Of Worship Centres

By Olu Osikoya, Abeokuta

Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun on Friday suspended planned reopening of all religious worship centres following reported cases of increased community transmission of coronavirus pandemic across the state.

The governor also threatened to ban operations of commercial motorcycle operators popularly called “okada” should they continue to violate the guidelines set down to flatten the COVID-19 curves by the state and Presidential Taskforce.

Abiodun, disclosed this while addressing journalists on Friday on the update and efforts at combating the COVID-19 pandemic in the state.

According to him, COVID-19 situation in Ogun as captured in the state’s medical statistics indicated that the number of new cases recorded in 14 days as at 4th of June, has almost doubled the total number recorded in a period of 98 days from the first index case on 27th February, 2020.

He explained that the suspension became expedient having come into conclusion with religious leaders that reopening of places of worship remains, “most potent fertile grounds” for the spread of the deadly virus.

“Community transmission is on the increase. And regrettably, in spite of the spirited efforts of the government to create awareness about the deadly nature of the pandemic and the guidelines put in place to flatten the curve of the spread, the compliance level of our people is still very much below expectation.

“In my last briefing, we were considering a tentative date of Friday, 19th June 2020 to further ease the restrictions and allow the gradual opening of places of worship on Fridays and Sundays. Towards this end, we have had robust engagements with the religious leaders: Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the League of Imams and Alfas.

“As a responsible administration, we choose life and the wellbeing of our citizens and are therefore constrained to take the painful but necessary decision to maintain the current regime of eased lockdown in the meantime. We are consequently suspending our initially slated reopening of places of worship”.

While maintaining that Mondays through Fridays working days of the week still remained opened for businesses and other economic transactions, the governor said Saturdays and Sundays will still be observed as lockdown days in the state, while observation of dusk-to-dawn curfew as directed by the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 also remain between 10.00 pm and 4.00 am daily.

Fielding questions from journalists regarding flagrant disobedience of the restriction on interstate travels, Abiodun emphatically declared that his administration will not hesitate at banning operations of commercial motorcycles popularly called “okada” in the state should motorcyclists continue to aid and abet movements of humans across state borders.

“We observed that Okada motorcycles are breaking this law and we will not hesitate to ban all Okada motorcycles from operating in our State if our resolve is further put to test”.

The governor added that the state will henceforth, arrest and prosecute owners and patrons of football viewing centres as well as gyms, event centres, cinemas, arcades, bars, casinos, nightclubs among others, who open for businesses.

“As usual, we will continue to monitor the situation and developments and will not hesitate to review and adjust the guidelines accordingly, as may be required. Our objective is to preserve the welfare and wellbeing of our people at all times”.