FG Warns Churches Against ‘Reckless Confidence’ Over COVID-19

The Federal Government Sunday warned churches to stop what the Chairman of the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19 and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, described as “an exhibition of reckless confidence” regarding immunity to the Coronavirus disease.

Mustapha, who gave the warning during the Interdenominational Church Prayer Service organised by the Nigerian Interreligious Council (NIREC) in Abuja, urged church leaders to tell their congregations to “stay safe for themselves, their families and for the body of Christ”

The SGF observed that the Coronavirus disease had come with all forms of uncertainties and there had not been any established protocol for treatment.

He said that non-pharmaceutical interventions had remained the most effective tool for countries to overcome the pandemic.

He noted that there was no known vaccine or cure in sight, stressing that COVID-19 had come to stay, even as scientists involved in the research for a solution had given between 18 and 24 months as time frame for likely vaccine solution.

“You can see that this virus has confounded and confused the entire world; it has brought the democracies and economies that existed for the last 300 years on their knees; it has overwhelmed them, and what makes you think that it cannot overwhelm us?  The Church should stop the exhibition of reckless confidence and tell their congregations to do the proper thing which is, stay safe for themselves, their families and for the body of Christ,” he said.

“For the good of yourself and your family is to adhere to non-pharmaceutical measures and protect yourself against the Coronavirus disease. Stay at home, maintain physical distancing, wear a facemask, because the virus is emitted either through sneezing or coughing; ensure personal hygiene.”

Mustapha noted that the positive intervention of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) is what the adherents of the two major religions needed to do more often.

He urged Christians and to always seek areas of collaboration to promote social harmony, progress and peaceful co-existence.

Federal Government’s warning came on the heels of latest figures from the World Health Organisation (WHO) suggesting that sub-Saharan African countries had the least number of confirmed coronavirus disease (COVID-19) deaths and case fatality ratio (CFR) in the world.

CFR, sometimes called case fatality risk or case fatality rate, is a measure of the severity of a disease: the proportion of deaths from a certain disease compared to the total number of people diagnosed with the ailment within a timeframe.

Why are African countries recording the least number of confirmed COVID-19 deaths? The reasons have divided medical experts. Some say the continent is merely lucky, has not tested enough people, is under-reporting cases and deaths, and has a younger population than other continents. Others argue that sub-Saharan countries are protected because of their high humidity and temperature, and exposure to tuberculosis vaccine, Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG).

Others, yet, point out that WHO’s World Health Statistics indicate Nigeria and many African countries have low average life expectancy, and that those most vulnerable to COVID-19 (elderly, cancer patients, people living with diabetes, asthma, hypertension) passed away before the virus struck. In Nigeria, less than 20 per cent of the population is over 50 years of age.