Church reopening: CAN holds virtual meeting today

Our Reporters

The Christian Association of Nigeria would hold a virtual meeting with Christian leaders on Wednesday to review guidelines, which would prevent the spread of COVID-19 in churches after the reopening of worship centres in the country. The PUNCH has learnt.

The apex Christian group in the country said the guidelines would be submitted to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control for review and advice.

This followed a call by the Director-General of the NCDC, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, on Thursday at the press conference of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, that faith-based organisations, including churches and mosques, to submit guidelines for reopening to the NCDC to review and advise them.

The Special Assistant on Media and Communications to CAN President, Adebayo Oladeji, in an interview with The PUNCH on Tuesday in Abuja, said the association was working on the guidelines.

Also, a top official of CAN told The PUNCH, on Tuesday evening, that consultations with various groups within the blocs in CAN were ongoing in anticipation of the Wednesday meeting.

“The CAN President, Reverend Supo Ayokunle, is very busy at the moment as he has been having a series of meetings with various groups for hours. We are not sure of how long the meeting would last because there are two more groups waiting to meet with him separately this evening.

“This is related to the guidelines on modalities to follow after the lockdown is lifted. There will be a clearer picture by tomorrow (Wednesday). After the consultation with the leaders of the blocs in CAN, a virtual meeting would hold. Perhaps, the online meeting on Wednesday (today) would lead to the constitution of a committee that would make a recommendation on the final steps to be taken.

“After the meeting, a clear picture will be given. I think the foundation upon which steps to follow would be based is being laid at the moment,” he said.