The Archbishop, Province of the Niger, Anglican Communion and Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Reverend Dr. Alexander Chibuzor Ibezim, yesterday raised the alarm that following the abuse of safety rules across markets and most rural communities in Nigeria, the war against the dreaded Coronavirus is yet to be over.
Archbishop Ibezim appealed to government at all levels to partner with the religious bodies -the churches and mosques to embark on an aggressive sensitization campaign to mobilize the people to adhere to the safety precautionary measures set by NCDC.
He spoke to newsmen shortly after Sunday service at Our Saviour’s Anglican Church, Awka.
He decried that in all the rural markets he had observed, they were not adhering to social distancing and other precautionary rules stipulated to mitigate further spread of COVID-19 pandemic.
Archbishop Ibezim informed further that, it was only God that saved mankind from the ravaging grips of the Coronavirus pandemic because nations with advanced hi-tech medical equipment and economy were reduced to nothing, wondering what the pandemic would have done to nations without strong health system and economy.
He wondered why churches were shut down during Easter when there was no Coronavirus and only to be opened now that there were cases of Coronavirus everywhere.
He advised government at all levels not to neglect the roles religious leaders play in mobilizing citizens because the religious body are closer to the people, thus the need to partner the religious bodies for effective communication with their congregation at all levels.
Archbishop Ibezim insisted that the government is being misled to neglect the churches and mosques in fighting COVID-19, adding that the church remains a veritable tool for educating the masses on the safety measures of COVID-19 as they know the people better.
He noted that much of the measures taken in by the masses were mostly from their religious leaders who have taken time to educate their members, as many of the information available in the media were not at the disposal of the rural people and most market men and women.
He encouraged government at all levels to partner the church and see it as integral part of the war against COVID-19, if the pandemic would be survived better, pointing out that seeing the church as the last resort by government may be dangerous.
He said the good policies of the government needed an input of the religious leaders for better implementation even as he warned that people should not wait for government to fight the virus.
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