Low Turnout of Worshippers as Churches Reopen in Ekiti
Victor Ogunje
There was low turnout of congregation in many of the churches in Ado Ekiti metropolis, Ekiti State, yesterday as Christians began church services after the state government lifted ban placed on religious centres across the state.
The state Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, had in March 2020, suspended activities in churches and mosques to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Though in some of the churches visited, all congregants used face masks while children below the age of 12 and elderly above 65 were not allowed into the church premises in compliance with the directive of the state government.
There were low congregations in some of the major churches like Saint Patrick Cathedral Church at Ijigbo; Christ Apostolic Church, Ogba Alaafia, Ijigbo; Christ Apostolic Church Mountain of Covenant, Poly Road; Cathedral Anglican Church at Okesa; Christ for All Nation’s Church at Ajowa area, among others.
The church programmes were substantially held between the hours of 10 a.m. and 12noon as directed by the government that no programme must be more than two hours and should be held once in a week.
In all the churches, bowl of water and hand sanitizers were stationed at the entrance for washing, while the temperatures of church members were being taken at the gate with infrared thermometers.
The presiding Pastor of the CAC, Mountain of Covenant on Poly road, Pastor Tope Fakiyesi, hinged the low turnout to the directive banning children from attending church services.
He said: “You know that children and the elderly have been banned from going to churches, so most of the parents would not want to leave their children at home and come to the churche.
“I want to appeal to the state government to look at this area. Again, most of the elderly people above 65 are ill and their children might not want to take the risk of abandoning them at home and go to church as well. These factors might have accounted for the low turnout.”
Before the reopening of churches, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) had expressed reservations over stringent conditions given for the reopening of worshipping centres, saying it would only cause low turnout.