The Spiritual Leader of NRI Evangelical Church, Primate Elijah Babatunde Ayodele, has berated the Federal Government and the leadership of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) over continued lockdown of churches.
The servant of God expressed displeasure that government has, by its action played down the unique moral and spiritual roles the church plays in society but gave market places, eateries, corporate offices even bear parlors preeminence as providers of essential service.
He, however, said: “I hail President Donald Trump of America for his courage and recognition essential services church also provides; and for declaring churches open in his country. Unfortunately African governments don’t even get that. Our own President Muhammadu Buhari failed woefully in his handling of the Covid-19 situation.”
The Primate further observed that it is more deadly to reopen market places, eateries, others than churches and schools; pointing out that crowd control in churches is much more easier than in a market environment.
He said: “Closing churches will even cause more havoc because the churches are in a better situation to guide their members on how to stay safe and the members will listen to their church leaders than government. That is the truth. All government needs to do is spell out the guidelines or conditions for reopening of churches and church leaders will comply.
“For instance, government can prescribe a gathering not more than 50 congregants, fumigation of worship arenas before service, hand washing and sanitiser points in church entry points; and church leaders will ensure compliance.”
He also blame the leadership of CAN for the suspension of church activities, alleging that the CAN President, Rev Samson Ayokunle, has not be proactive enough. According to the Primate, CAN needs a vibrant, vocal and proactive President like the General Overseer of Faith Tabernacle (Canaanland), Bishop David Oyedepo.
He added: “The point is that the association of men of God failed woefully in this regard, It doesn’t take them anything to gather all servants of God to pray fervently; this whole thing will be over. This pandemic is all about God; it is not about China, it’s not about scientist or medicals. Doctors gave even goofed, they don’t even get it.”
The Primate also harped on the danger of not lifting the lockdown on church fellowships saying: “Continued closure of churches is like fighting God. Government is calling for the wrath of God; instead of appealing for his intervention, we are now chanting lockdown, lockdown.
“Who are you to lockdown the kingdom of God? Who gave you that power? Who gave you that authority? Who is that President? Who is that Minister? Who is that Governor who has the power to lockdown the kingdom of God? It’s never down, we should rather run to God in times like this.”
Ayodele commended the courage of some governors who, he said, have reopened the church noting that if God is shut out of the nation’s economy, it will paralyse because God is not in the economy.
He urged government to apply spiritual remedy to the situation at hand “This is not about human philosophies, it will fail us. But the spiritual remedy is the answer to Covid-19 pandemic. Let it be known that God’s people in Nigeria are hungry for God and the manifestation of Gid’s in our circumstances. We are hungry because we are not doing what we should be doing,” he further observed.
He stressed that many Christian faithful have deviated, lost focus and hope. “These are some of the dangers of government imposed lockdown and after the pandemic everything will change,” Primate Ayodele said.
