Violate Covid 19 Laws And Go To Jail, Ondo Govt Warns Worshippers |The Source

By Ayodele Oni

The Inter-Ministerial Committee on Covid 19 in Ondo state has warned that violators of night curfew imposed in the wake of fresh outbreak of the pandemic would be dealt with according to law.

The committee stressed the need for people of the state to celebrate the end of the year with a deep sense of responsibility, and a strong commitment to safety and resist any call by anyone, no matter how highly placed, for them to disobey government health order.

Reacting to the call by the state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, (CAN) to disregard the State  Government  curfew which starts from 10 pm to 4am, and attend cross over service in their various Churches, the committee warned that violators put themselves at the risk of COVID-19 and its consequences as well as legal penalties, including fines and jail terms as specified in the Ondo State COVID-19 laws.

Chairman of the committee, Prof Adesegun Fatusi, in a statement in Akure on Tuesday, pointed out that “COVID-19 is primarily a health issue, and NOT a religious issue. It is, therefore, not in the domain or area of competence of any religious group and for CAN leadership to indicate that technical decisions on health matters cannot be validly made by the state government without first consulting with the Association is implausible and absurd.

“The order of a curfew from 10.00 pm to 4.00 pm is a subsisting public health order that has been in operation for several months and aimed fundamentally at safeguarding the health of the citizens.

“The decision to maintain the curfew through and beyond 31st December 2020 in Ondo State was taken jointly with a deep sense of responsibility by a body of leading health experts at a meeting convened by the Inter-ministerial committee on Thursday, 24 December 2020, and involving the leadership of the major health professional groups.

“Government has the primary and primal responsibility to protect and safeguard the health of her people and the Ondo State Dangerous Infectious Diseases (COVID-19 Emergency Prevention Regulation) signed into law on 31st March 2020 empowers the Governor to take relevant actions to curb the spread of the COVID-19, including restriction of movements.

“The Governor does not need to consult with CAN or any religious or civil group before exercising the power that is duly vested in him by the law of the land.

“It is dangerously misleading for anyone in a position of leadership in the civil society, including religious leaders, who are expected to be role models by the tenets of their callings and the clear teachings of the sacred books that they are called to uphold, to openly call on citizens to disobey government’s public health orders made to ensure the health of people, with the implication of putting the health of the people at risk.

“The evening and night of December 31st marks the end of the year for all people and not for any religious group and in the face of the threat of the second wave of COVID-19 in Nigeria, all individuals and groups – whatever their religious leaning may be – have a duty to celebrate the events marking the entry into a new year sensibly, responsibly and safely to ensure that they do not put the health of other citizens at risk.”