11th May, 2020

Covid-19: Gombe Governor parleys religious leaders on possibility of re-opening places of worship

...seeks commitment on social distancing, other preventive protocols as pre-condition

Following persistent calls for worship centres to reopen for congregational prayers, Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya has met with religious leaders in the state, where he requested for their commitment to strict observance of social distancing and other preventive protocols as pre-condition to lift ban on congregations.

Governor Inuwa Yahaya, while addressing religious leaders from the two major faiths of Islam and Christianity, said the move to seek for the counsel of the religious leaders on social distancing at places of worship was in furtherance of his administration's commitment to expanding the frontiers of inclusiveness and democratic practice.

The Governor said his administration's decision to ban all social, cultural and religious gatherings in the state was to prevent community spreading of coronavirus and not to deny anyone from performing their prayers at mosques or churches.

While reeling out some of his administration's modest efforts to contain the spread of the Coronavirus, Governor Yahaya said his government had before the index cases in Gombe, ordered the closure of all entries into the State. This, the Governor said was in addition to the provision of a one hundred and fifty capacity bed isolation Centre in Kwadon and another fifty bed isolation centre at the Federal Teaching Hospital Gombe.

He said his administration has also established an Intensive Care Unit fully equipped with Ventilators, oxygen concentrators and other facilities for treatment of severe covid-19 cases and also paid for the supply of a Polymerase Chain Reaction PCR machine for the testing of individuals perceived to be carrying the Coronavirus.

Governor Yahaya said he had earlier resisted the imposition of total lockdown in the state and opted for a dusk to dawn curfew instead in order not to add to the economic hardship already being felt by the citizenry.

He said as Governor of Gombe State he has taken an oath to protect the lives, property and dignity of the people, describing steps so far taken by his administration to contain the Coronavirus as rational and for the collective good and over all interest of the people.

Meanwhile, no position was taken at the parley due to time constraints, but the government had asked the religious leaders to take a collective stand, in collaboration with the security agencies and relevant officials on the matter and quickly give feedback to enable government announce an agreed position.

Photo credit: Abdul No Shaking

Ismaila Uba Misilli
Senior Special Assistant
( Media and Publicity)

Okay

Coronavirus is scam

Gonna end in chaos and confusion.

People cant and wont follow directives.

Even Europe wey get some level of complying to rules sef never lift ban coz they know what the outcome will be.

U can easily predict that.

Tissaia:
Coronavirus is scam

If so, then it scammed the whole world.

Tissaia:
Coronavirus is scam

Make una dey get sense sometimes, sha you no dey see wetin dey happen for the world......abi some like did Don happen since wen them born you?

Issoryt

ojun50:

Make una dey get sense sometimes, sha you no dey see wetin dey happen for the world......abi some like did Don happen since wen them born you?

Wake up it's all lies

Tissaia:
Coronavirus is scam

only in Nigeria.

Tissaia:
Wake up it's all lies

Keep sleeping till it get to ur door step

Space boik

ojun50:

Make una dey get sense sometimes, sha you no dey see wetin dey happen for the world......abi some like did Don happen since wen them born you?

Don't mind them o

Na wa for Naija. Why is religion so important to us though we were the real exponents of it? The consideration is not even economic activities to boom the state but religious gathering. Whoever told them that people will obey whatever laws they will put in place is what I don't know. After allowing the gathering now, they'll later start requesting 15b from FG to fight the sporadic spread.

The two main religions in Naija is Christianity and Islamic religion. All the headquarters of these religion shut down worship centers including pilgrimage sites to contain the spread. Why is the religious thing so important to us here that it gets our reasonings shut down. Saudi Arabia (Islamic hdqtr and hajj center) shut down. Iran (Shi'ite) shut down. Jerusalem (Christian pilgrimage center) shut down, Italy (Catholic hdqtr), London (Anglican hdqtr) USA (Pentecostal center) all shut down to contain the virus. In our own case, all the General overseers and senior pastors and Imams are acting like they are the ones that got the inspiration from God to establish the first church or mosque. I actually blame the followers who accept anything that comes out of their mouth. From all I've known nobody cares for you, but only for what they'll get from you. It pains them as the bumper harvest has reduced in recent times. Be wise!

We are so religious that we forget d priority of life......how can we be talking of religion when safety should be our first priority?.....Humanity comes first before religion....