JUST IN: El-Rufai insists mosques, churches to remain closed in Kaduna
Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has directed that no place of worship is allowed to open in the state, saying that the state is not affected by the Federal Government’s order allowing the reopening of churches and mosques in.
A statement issued by Senior Media Adviser to the governor, Muyiwa Adekeye, on Tuesday, however, said that the state government would engage the business community, and religious leaders to discuss and agree on the protocols for the safe opening of the centres.
According to the statement, “Until these consultations result in a formal announcement authorising businesses, markets and places of worship to reopen, it will be a violation of subsisting Quarantine Orders to reopen any unauthorised facility, market or places of worship or to conduct congregational worship of any sort.
“Places of worship in Kaduna State were not closed by the Federal Government.”
The statement said Kaduna State Government has not reopened markets or places of worship. These public spaces were closed in March 2020 as the state stepped-up Covid-19 prevention efforts.
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‘’As announced last week, relevant government agencies will engage the business, community, and religious leaders to discuss and agree on the protocols for the safe opening of businesses and market, and resumption of congregational worship,’’ said the statement.
It said Government has started engagements with business leaders and began receiving recommendations from some religious leaders on the subject of safe re-opening of places of worship. However, these consultations have not been concluded.
‘’Until these consultations result in a formal announcement authorising businesses, markets and places of worship to reopen, it will be a violation of subsisting Quarantine Orders to reopen any unauthorised facility, market or places of worship or to conduct congregational worship of any sort. Places of worship in Kaduna State were not closed by the Federal Government.’’
”Kaduna State is not one of the three states and the FCT where the Federal Government imposed a lockdown. The steps taken to ease such federally-imposed lockdowns in the concerned places should not be construed as the Federal Government relaxing in all states conditions that it did not impose in the first place.’’
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‘’Kaduna State has its own well-articulated roadmap for reopening, and this was published last week as a public document for the views and inputs of the citizens of the State. That is why when it extended the Quarantine Orders by two weeks on 26th May 2020, it also announced steps to ease some of the restrictions. These included increasing lockdown-free days to three and allowing approved businesses and facilities to open on those three days.’’
