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He also encouraged all Christians in Rivers state to have Easter Church Services with their full congregation on Sunday, April 12, 2020. And he is not the only governor to do this.
Governor Emmanuel Udom of Akwa Ibom State, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State and Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina State have also relaxed COVID 19 lockdown laws to accommodate religious activities.
Reactions to these relaxations have been mixed. Those who see the lockdown as an attack on religion are in support of these measures, but reality tells a different story.
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The infamous 'Patient 31' of South Korea, is believed to be responsible for the Shincheonji Church cluster which accounts for over 60% of all South Korean COVID 19 cases. This was as of March 18.
According to Reuters, she had attended services at the Daegu branch of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, on February 9 and again on February 16 even though doctors had advised her to get tested.
A few days after the South Korean authorities announced her as the 31st case, there were hundreds of confirmed cases springing up at the Shincheonji Church and its surrounding areas. By March 18, there were 5,016 infected persons.
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One woman and her religion single-handedly overturned all the efforts of the South Korean government to contain COVID 19.
If South Korea with its advanced technologies and infrastructure can be set back by religion, will Nigeria be saved by religion?
In a tweet chat with Pulse, Dr Bella Nifemi who's on the frontline of the COVID 19 fight in Nigeria says "if an extension (of the lockdown) will help us #FlattenTheCurve then let us have an extension. We have no capacity to attend to a mass outbreak of Covid-19. We have started admitting patients who acquired Covid-19 from the community. Coronavirus is real, people!"
Even the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, has expressed his shock at the poor state of Nigeria's healthcare system.
Mustapha, who also serves as Chairman of the Presidential Task Force the Presidential Task Force on Coronavirus (COVID-19) while meeting with the leadership of the National Assembly on Thursday, April 9, 2020, said: "I can tell you for sure, I never knew that our entire healthcare infrastructure was in the state in which it is until I was appointed to do this work"
Therefore, considering our inability to manage a massive outbreak of COVID 19, the obvious best option for us is prevention.
The lockdown has to stay in place and fully adhered to. No individual or body should be exempt. This is not the time to play partisan politics or pander to the whims of religious leaders.
As patient 31 has shown, it only takes one person to infect thousands and religious gatherings are the perfect breeding ground for coronavirus.
While we respect and advocate for freedom of worship, until this crisis is over, let all men and women pray from their various homes.
Pulse Editorial Opinion is the opinion of the editorial team of Pulse. It does not represent the opinion of the organization Pulse.'