Ondo, Bayelsa To Relax Road Restriction For Easter Celebration, Kogi Lifts Ban On Religious Gathering

Ondo State Government has said there will be no restriction of movements on Easter Sunday in order to enable the Christians in the state gather in their various churches.

The state government had earlier placed a ban on religious activities as part of the measures in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease in the state.

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has however said the leaders of the association and Governor Rotimi Akeredolu had agreed to ease the restriction to allow church services hold in churches on Easter Sunday.

The state Commissioner for Information, Mr Donald Ojogo, confirmed this development in a statement on Wednesday.

He said;

The CAN’s statement is explicit enough that government had graciously granted a special relief to enable Christians to celebrate Easter Sunday, being one of the most important annual celebrations of the Church.

Ojogo added that;

Accordingly, the state government has already communicated to the Ondo State Police Command, this concession granted CAN to, as it were, temporise and allow the celebration of Easter Sunday in churches.

In same vein, Bayelsa State Government on Wednesday announced that it has relaxed the COVID-19 lockdown to allow residents mark the Easter celebration.

A statement from the acting Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Daniel Alabrah, advised churches with large congregations to hold services with not more than 50 worshippers at a time.

Alabrah stated that;

A task force will be going round to observe compliance. All churches are to provide water and soap for members to wash their hands. All churches are to also provide hand sanitizers for members’ use.

In other news, Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello has also lifted the ban placed on religious congregations across the state with immediate effect, to allow religious bodies have their normal worship and services.

The directive was contained in a statement signed by Kingsley Fanwo, the Commissioner for Information and Communication on Thursday.

He however urged all religious leaders to put in place preventive and precautionary measures in their various worship centres in order to contain the outbreak and spread of coronavirus in the state.

Bello urged religious leaders to ensure that sanitizers are provided for all worshippers at the entrance of churches and mosques, adding that sitting arrangements in places of worship should compile with social distancing rule.

He also urged churches and mosques to make their services as brief as possible in order not to keep a large crowd of worshipers within an enclosed confinement for a long period of time.