Opinion: Lifting of Ban On Religious Activities, Misplaced Priority. By Olaniyi Oluwaseyi

I am writing this piece not to condemn or contend the decision of the president but to suggest a better and a lasting way forward. Which I urge you to read this with an open heart.

Some months back a ban was placed on religious activities due to the outbreak of COVID-19 as a preventive measure to the virus. Upon the proclaiming of the ban, faithful began to worship from the various houses, while some grouped themselves to a minimal number in line with different state governments directive.

Going by precedence and antecedent this is not the first time churches would be close down due to pandemic, during the Renaissance a virus broke out which claimed millions of lives named Spanish influenza of 1918, although it was recorded that there was no imposed lockdown to curb the spread of the virus but many churches and other places were closed for months.

The imposed ban on public gathering, which has affected our religious centres is not in any way preventing people from serving their God, it is just to prevent the spread of the virus. On this note I would like to disagree with a popular Nigeria pastor who claimed that those “who want Churches To Remain Closed Are Agents Of The Devil”, they are not an agent of the Devil as claimed by him they are taking preventing measures. It is important to note that it is not possible to send some set of people away from churches due to the specific number which was announced by the government and also maintaining social distance in our religious gathering is not an easy task.

In conclusion, I urge our religious leaders to be considerate and to also remember health is wealth. More so I would admonish our pastor to revive house to house fellowship where a maximum of 10 people can worship together for it is written in the Bible “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together”, the scriptures further explain to us that “For where two or three gather together in My name, there am I”. To our imams, Islam gave us exemption to worship at home as it was seen during the reign of Prophet Mohammad where he gave a similar directive for believer to worship from their homes.

Finally, I admonish our religious leader to support the government in combating COVID 19.

Olaniyi Oluwaseyi is a penultimate student of Linguistics and African languages, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife.