… sets agenda for reopening

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

Ahead of the Presidential briefing on gradual lockdown in some states, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has held a virtual meeting with religious leaders over the ongoing efforts towards reopening of various sectors amid battle against COVID-19 in the state.

Sanwo-Olu, while giving a ray of hope for reopening of worship houses, however, reeled out fresh guidelines and conditions to be met before the state government would reopen Mosques, Churches and other religious centres for normal activities.

According to the governor, the wide-ranging and extensive consultations with various stakeholders ranging from the religious organizations; traditional rulers and the Organized Private Sector is expected to form the backbone of a wider and robust framework that will govern a further opening up of economy of the state in the weeks and months ahead.

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Addressing the religious leaders during the electronic meeting, Sanwo-Olu described the pandemic as a global scourge, noting sadly that the Lenten and Ramadan periods fell within the lockdown phase.

The governor explained to the leaders on government efforts since the first index case in Lagos, stressing that the state was already on alert immediately the news about the virus broke in China in December 2019 based on experience during the Ebola virus.

He, however, disclosed that the infection and transmission of the virus have taken a new dimension by spreading at the community level, hence, the urgent need to sensitise religious leaders due to their followership in the state, either as Christians or Muslims, despite the lockdown on their activities.

The governor reiterated that the “0 – Congregation” stance of Government for religious worship centres is still in force to ensure physical distancing, adding that all hands must be on deck to do more sensitisation and monitoring to complement government efforts.

Sanwo-Olu said the Government agencies also would be visiting places of worship to evaluate their level of preparedness ahead of full reopening. He stressed that social distancing and hygiene would be fully considered in determining whether mosques and churches can re-open in the future.

Vanguard News Nigeria