Kunle Adelabu & Wale Jagun
Aside the big congregational Churches in Ikorodu Division of Lagos State, Southwest, Nigeria, that fully complied with the directive of the Lagos State Government regarding the prevention of the spread of the deadly Coronavirus, it was business as usual in other Churches in Igbogbo and Ikorodu.
Government had during week called on religious leaders across the state to reduce the number of congregants at their gatherings, particularly during Jumat and Sunday services, to 50 to prevent the spread of the deadly disease. But in view of present reality with new cases, the total of number of people at public gatherings has further been reduced to 20 on Saturday, March 20, 2020.
THE IMPACT went round Ikorodu Local Government as well as Igbogbo/Bayeku and Ikorodu West Local Council Development Areas to monitor the level of compliance to the State government’s directive.
While there was full compliance by big Churches which outrightly canceled their Sunday services, most of the other churches (particularly the new generation churches and white garments churches) went about their normal services as if there is nothing at stake.
Those that suspended their services are Methodist Church of Nigeria, Lagos Diocese Headquarters, Patriarch Bolaji Methodist Church of Nigeria, Ita-Elewa, Ikorodu, The Africa Church Bethel Cathedral, Aga, Ikorodu, Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Diocese of Lagos West at Sheriff junction Ikorodu, United African Methodist Church (Eleja), Igbogbo and Joy Cometh Church along Ipakodo-Igbogbo road, Ikorodu among others.
When our reporter visited The Methodist Church of Nigeria, Patrick Bolaji Methodist, Ita-Elewa, the Church gate and entrances to the main auditorium were locked and after identification, our reporter was allowed entry into the Church.
While inside the church, Very Revd. Sunday Oluwole Adegbola, Pastor-in-Charge of the church, was leading two other clergy men and five other Church media team and organist to record a video to be transmitted through social media to the members of the church.
It was the same scenario at the African Bethel Cathedral,Aga, Ikorodu, as the main gate was also locked while wash hand bowl, bucket of water, soap and sanitizer were placed at the entrance of the church (left wing) .The number of congregants praying inside the church as at the time of our reporter’s visit was less than 20.
There was no activity at the Holy Trinity Anglican Church located at Sheriff junction in Ikorodu, as the main entrance was locked.
The gate man of the church, who spoke with our reporter, confirmed that the Sunday service would not hold.
Joy Cometh, another church with a large congregation, suspended its Sunday service in compliance with the government’s directive. Both sides of the road where the church was located that are usually occupied by vehicles, were empty as at 10.30am when our reporter visited today.
The main entrance of the church was partially locked while there was no activity in the main hall when our reporter peeped to look into the church premises.
At the headquarters of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in Ikorodu located at Pashokun Street, Ita-Elewa, Ikorodu, there was no sign of any activity.
The church vicinity, which usually experience heavy traffic and presence of vehicles, was unusually free. Also, the open ground belonging to the Ikorodu Local Government which is adjacent the church and which usually serves as car park for congregants, was empty.
There was also no service at the United African Methodist Church (Eleja), Igbogbo, when our reporter visited at 9.30 and 10 .44am respectively.
It was also lull at the headquarters of Jehovah Witness Assembly at Aga in Ikorodu, while there was also no activity at the Church of the Lord Aladura Worldwide located at Aga, along Ireshe Road, Ikorodu, when our reporter visited around 11am.
In contrast to the case with the big Churches, it was business as usual in some other churches visited in Ikorodu and Igbogbo.
Our reporter, who visited some churches in Igbogbo, reported that the Lord Chosen Charisma Church located off Odofin street in Igbogbo, held its Sunday service he visited at 9.20am.
Our reporter also visited Methodist Church, Igbogbo, located directly opposite the Adeboruwa palace, around 9.37am and saw about 50 people worshipping.
Speaking with one of the Church elders who identified himself as Evangelist Elijah Agbbe, he stated that they were directed by the Church headquarters to gather with not more than 50 congregants and do their service within an hour.
When told that there was a counter directive on Saturday limiting number of people at public gatherings to twenty, he stated that he wasn’t aware and thanked our reporter for the information and promised that the congregants would be dispatched.
It was also business as usual when our reporter visited CAC located opposite Mobil Station, along Oba Omolaja road, Igbogbo, around 7.42am.
There was also many congregants at the praying ground of Cele ll, one of the biggest Celestial Churches in Ikorodu Division, located along Ikorodu Club.
A member of the Church while briefly speaking with our reporter, stated that they only assembled for prayers and not for the usual Sunday service.
At the Redeemed Church located at Rasaq Banjoko Street, off Odofin Street,in Igbogbo, our reporter saw many congregants inside the Church which is covered with white leather.
Although, the congregants observed ‘social distancing’ in their sitting arrangement, but the programme held was the usual service. As at 12. 20pm when our reporter visited the Church, the service was still on.
The same activity was noted at the Redeemed Church located at Pa Osho Street in Igbogbo. Though, our reporter was unable to ascertain the number of the congregants present.
Meanwhile, Revd. Sunday Oluwole Adegbola, Pastor-in-Charge, The Methodist Church of Ngeria, Patrick Bolaji Methodist, Ita-Elewa, stated in an interview with THE IMPACT, that
“We have to comply (with the government’s directive) in the sense that obedience is part of the tenets of the Church and that means obeying the authority”.
We also gathered that a Church on Kalejaiye Street around Grammar School axis (LIFAN Church) under the leadership of one Pastor Richman, also held its usual Sunday Service despite the government’s directive.
Our reporters also witnessed normal Sunday service in some other small churches visited in Ikorodu and Igbogbo.
Very Revd. Sunday Oluwole Adegbola, Pastor-in-Charge, The Methodist Church of Nigeria, speaking further with THE IMPACT on Sunday (yesterday), stated that the Church resorted to recording its messages and sending them to its congregants via social media since they cannot gather due to the government’s directive towards preventing the spread of Coronavirus.
“Since our members cannot gather, we decided to go online to reach them. God is everywhere. We believe that we will get the message across to them online and tell them that they should be law-abiding and prayerful especially at this time. Also, they should be watchful. That is what we are trying to do now”.
Reacting to the information that some Churches are not complying with the government’s directive, Revd Adegbola stated that they may not receive the counter directive limiting the number of congregation to twenty.
“May be they only heard about the initial directive of not more than 50 and are not aware of the counter directive that came in yesterday which put the number of people at public gathering at not more than 20 people”, he stated.
“It was yesterday night that we received the new directive that people should not be more than 20 at public gatherings and that caused confusion. Some of the local Churches had strategised to follow the initial directive and suddenly, the directive changed and many of them did not probably receive the message.
“As a Cathedral, we are sensitive to news and information”, Revd Adegbola added.
He charged people of Christian faith not to panic but consider the present situation as a period of trial and be prayerful.
“Christians should be relaxed. My message to them is what Jesus told his disciples in Luke 18:1. He said men ought to pray and not to faint. This is a trial period for our nation and we should keep all hands on desk, be prayerful for peace and healing of the land”.
Revd. Idowu Samuel, the Cathedral Priest, The African Church Bethel Cathedral, Aga, Ikorodu, who stated that the normal service of the church has been suspended and replaced with special prayer against Coronavirus, also enjoined Christians to be prayerful in tackling the menace of the deadly disease.
“What we have here are not even up to twenty. We are praying against the virus that God should take control”, he told our reporter.
“At this moment of trial, there is nothing that we can do than to call on God and pray to Him to take perfect control. I believe that while the government is doing everything to find solutions, we should be praying to God to heal the land.
“He was the one that healed Isrealites and took them out of Egypt. Only God that can take us out of this Egypt that we are currently in across the world”.
Evangelist Omobola Ilubanwo, the Medical Officer, The African Church Bethel Cathedral, Aga, Ikorodu, enjoined other Churches to make available basic facilities to contain the spread of the virus.
“We have provided necessary basic things like sanitizer, wash hand basin, water and soap for everyone coming into the Church to use. We have to tackle the Coronavirus spiritually, morally and medically.
“While the government is trying its best to find solutions to the disease, it is our own duty to engage in spiritual and moral acts in preventing and eradicating the disease.
“We have been providing necessary basic tools since last three weeks for everyone coming into the Church to use before entering.
“This is our own little way of preventing the spread of Coronavirus. My advice to other churches and institutions is that they should also provide these basic facilities for everyone coming into their Churches make use of to prevent the spread of the disease ”.
