Connect with us

News

COVID-19: Restriction On Large Gathering: Worship Centres Record Compliance, Partial Compliance In Benin

Published

on

Edo State government’s directive prohibiting gathering above 20 persons in the state was flouted by some worship centres while some partially complied with the directive in Benin on their Sunday’s service of March 29, 2020.

Edo State government, with a view to curbing the spread of Coronavirus in the state, had on Monday, March 23rd announced restriction of social gathering to 50 persons and later reduced to 20 persons on Wednesday 25th, in the same month.

However, visit to some worship centres by INFO DAILY in Benin revealed that the restriction does not hinder many worship centres as they opened with special arrangement of chairs while some worship centres completely put their worship centres under lock and key in compliance to the directive.

Advertisement

READ ALSO: COVID-19: Muslims Suspend Jumat Prayer In Edo

At Redemption Gospel Ministries cathedral, Benin, the building was opened but with a special arrangement of not more than 20 persons in a area, apparently complying to the social distancing advice, while members coming to the church were offered hand sanitizer before stepping in.

The same was application at Assemblies of God, Oyakhilome Temple (cathedral), Ekewan road Benin, as two buildings in the premises were used for worship with only 20 persons allowed to attend at a time.

When INFO DAILY reporter questioned why allowing few persons in a cathedral that can accommodate large number, a Minister who does not want his name mentioned said the church was complying to the directive from the government.

Advertisement

READ ALSO: COVID-19: NUJ Demands Safety Kits, Palliative For Journalists

Visit to Steward Assembly and Kingdom of Life Baptist Church by INFO DAILY respectively, it was observed that normal seating arrangement and normal church service held, but Kingdom of Life Baptist Church did not used load speaker as the usual practice.

A Minister (name withheld) who spoke to INFO DAILY said they held a short service in order to sensitise members on the disease and to inform them of the new development of restriction, stressing that no church service will hold henceforth.

“As you can see, I was calling for tithe and offering when you walked out. You can also see that we are not using load speaker. We just opened the church to hold short service so that we can sensitise our members on coronavirus and to inform them that we are not holding service again because the government has prohibited large gathering”, he added.

Advertisement

At the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Grace Assembly zonal headquarters, Evbuotubu, Sunday service was held but with a distancing arrangement of seats was observed even as few members turned up. The church hooked up via satellite to the General Overseer of the church for a life broadcast.

Our reporter who visited Believers Ministry international headquarters as one of the worshipers was referred to any of their zonal branches as those positioned at the headquarters said church service was not holding at the headquarters.

READ ALSO: COVID-19: London Returnee Apprehended, Forced To Go On Self-isolation In Delta

Visit to Living Faith Church aka Winners Chapel, Church of God Mission, Heritage Assembly and Miracle Assembly, all in Ekewan road and Evbuotubu axis of Benin, our report observed total compliance as all were under lock and key.

Advertisement

Advertisement
Comments

News

Over 60 Youth Groups Dissociate Selves From The October 1 Protest

Published

on

Over 60 youth organisations have declared that their members will not participate in the national protest being planned by some persons and groups for October 1 against the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

The president of Nigeria Youth Organization, Duke Alamboye, made the position of the youth leaders known when he led a delegation on a courtesy visit to the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr Dennis Otuaro, in Abuja on Thursday.

Special Assistant on Media to the PAP Administrator, Mr Igoniko Oduma, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.

Advertisement

According to the statement, youth bodies include the National Youth Congress, Arewa Youth Council, Yoruba Youth Council, Ohaneze Youth Council, South-South Advocate, Niger Delta Coalition, the Nigeria Nexus, Youth Parliament of Nigeria, Green Africa Youth Initiative, Youth Foundation for Non-Violence in Nigeria, Niger Delta Youth Parliament, National Association of Nigerian Students, and Youth Empowerment for Peace and Security, among others.

READ ALSO: NAF Begins Airlift Of INEC Materials For Edo Governorship Election

Alamboye in the statement said that they would work together with a network of other youth groups to “ensure that Nigerian youths were not misled into taking part in any ill-advised protest against the government of Tinubu.”

He said they would carry out a series of activities in the days ahead, including a world press conference and a youth summit, to sensitize Nigerians on the need to shun any demonstration in the country.

Advertisement

Alamboye, who urged youths to embrace constructive dialogue, explored them.go use available channels of engagement with the government to express their views instead of disrupting the peace and stability of the nation.

He said, “Concerning the state of the nation, we are not unaware of the agitation from certain quarters calling for a nationwide protest on October 1, 2024. It is a protest against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government.

“As youth leaders and lovers of peace and national advancement, the Nigeria Youth Organization would like to inform you of our plan and intention to hold a world press conference on the 23rd of September, 2024, geared towards sensitizing the average Nigerian youth on the need to shun the planned protest.

READ ALSO: Show Commitment To National Development, Unity, PAP Boss Charges Nigerian Students

Advertisement

“We want people to seek dialogue as a better reconciliation tool for venting their grievances. We also hope to organise a summit on October 1st, 2024, as a follow-up to the world press conference. We anticipate that all well-meaning stakeholders will play vital roles in charting a better cause for our youths.”

The youth leader congratulated Otuaro on his appointment and commended the President for putting a square peg in a square hole through the appointment of Otuaro.

He stressed that they were solidly behind Tinubu and the PAP boss.

Also speaking, Henry Okonkwo of the Ohaneze Youth Council, Tobi Bakare (Yoruba Youth Council), Ifon Daniel (Niger Delta Youth Parliament), and Nasir Lawal (Arewa Youth Council), among others, corroborated Alamboye and expressed support for the president.

Advertisement

READ ALSO: PAP Boss, Otuaro, Meets With Foreign Students, Harps On Peaceful Conduct

Responding, the PAP Administrator praised the youth leaders for dissociating themselves from the planned protest, noting that Tinubu was is youth-friendly leader who had appointed several youths to serve in different capacities in his government.

Otuaro urged them not to allow themselves to be manipulated into unpatriotic activities in the name of protest, as the president needs more time for the benefits of his people-oriented reforms, policies, and programmes to manifest.

While thanking the youth groups for their decision and support for Tinubu, he said, “Mr. President means well for the country. It is reassuring to know that Nigerian youths are with Mr President, who has been in office for a little over a year.

Advertisement

“As youths, we should organise ourselves and present our grievances and concerns through constructive dialogues. Nobody should manipulate you to achieve their ulterior goals. Most of those championing the so-called protest are only seeking attention and they thrive under the guise of anti-government protests to get attention. Youths should be watchful.”

Continue Reading

News

BREAKING: NECO Releases 2024 Internal Examination Results

Published

on

The National Examinations Council (NECO) has released the 2024 SSCE internal results.

This was disclosed on Thursday, September 19, by the NECO’s Registrar/Chief Executive, Professor Dantani Wushishi, while briefing journalists in Minna during the release of the 2024 SSCE internal results.

Wushishi also said that NECO blacklisted 21 supervisors in 12 states and de-recognized one school in Ekiti state for mass cheating in two core subjects and one science subject.

Advertisement

READ ALSO: Finally, Ex-gov Yahaya Bello Honours EFCC Invitation

According to him, the Supervisors were recommended for blacklisting due to poor supervision, aiding and abetting, abscondment, extortion, drunkenness, and negligence.

He said: “40 schools were round to have been involved in whole-school mass cheating in 17 states adding that the schools will be invited to the council for discussion after which appropriate sanctions will be applied.”

Details shortly…

Advertisement

Continue Reading

News

Rotary Club Embarks On Tree Planting To Save Environment In Bauchi

Published

on

The Rotary Club International on Wednesday, embarked on planting 110 forest species trees in Dass Local Government Area of Bauchi state.

Speaking during the flagging off of the planting exercise, Mr Morris Choji, Rotary Club International President in Bauchi state, said the gesture was to prevent the environment from desertification.

According to him, the club decided to embark on the project in order to see how it could contribute to saving the environment by planting the trees to serve as windbreaks and to avoid erosion.

Advertisement

READ ALSO: Rotary Club Donates 1,000 Books To Schools In Bauchi

Morris, who encouraged the people of Dass to also plant more trees, promised that the club would plant more if the ones planted are well taken care of.

“Today, we are witnessing a tree planting project that we as Rotarians do from time to time to see how we can save the environment.

“As Rotary club, we have seven areas of focus such as Polio eradication, Water and Sanitation, Maternal and Child health, among others and protecting the environment is one of them.

Advertisement

READ ALSO: NDE Trains 810 Youths, Women In Imo On Vocational Skills

“We are planting 110 forest species trees in the Dass Local Government Area of the state and I would like to call on the benefiting community to take very good care of the trees.

“From time to time, we will be coming here to see how far they are faring and we have gotten assurance from the local government that they will be taken care of and we appreciate the energy,” he said.

In her reaction toward the gesture, Mrs Victoria Joshua, Head of Administration, Dass LGA, said that the project is very important to the people of Dass and to humanity at large.

Advertisement

READ ALSO: Rotary Club Not A Religious Organisation, Secret Society, Says President

“We are witnessing great deforestation globally, there is great climate change and what Rotary club is doing right now by planting these trees is a way to serve humanity and to curb the deforestation taking place in our locality and globally.

“We appreciate the club for their efforts to serve humanity and we call on them to bring not only this plantation but more benefiting programmes into Dass LGA,” she said.

She assured that the local government would mobilise forestry staff under the Agric section in the LGA to take very good care of the planted trees so as to achieve the purpose they were planted.

Advertisement

Continue Reading

Trending