Crossover service: Nigerian states and churches wey don ban New Year eve gathering
As di New Year dey come and di number of Covid-19 infections for Nigeria dey rise more and more, some state govnors plus Christian Association of Nigeria and some churches, don put ban on di New Year eve "crossover" service.
Usually, Nigerian Christians and sometimes Muslims dey spend quality time for prayer house on New Year eve dey praise and worship God, and pray make di year wey dey come dey good to dem. "Crossover night," na very important part of worship for most Nigerian Christians and Muslims, but dis year, sake of di rise in Covid-19 outbreak, different opinions, orders and ban dey follow di idea of doing "crossover" service dis year. South west states Some state for south west of di kontri don ban all plans for any religious body to gada do "crossover." Lagos state goment na im first suspend every all-night service including crossover night service sake of federal goment curfew between 12am to 4am. Wit dis order, many churches for Lagos still dey plan to gada at least fifty percent capacity, to do vigil wey go end before the curfew time. Ogun state goment give order ban on crossover night programmes and any form of carnival for di state. But di Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) chapter for di state want make goment lift di ban. Na red-eye Ondo state goment take follow im pipo, as im insist say e no go tink am twice. Ondo state Chairman of di Covid-19 ministerial committee, Adesegun Fatusi, say e no fine for anybody wey be leader for society or religious group to openly call pipo to disobey goment public health order. Goment for Osun bin first put ban on crossover night for religious bodies wey wan observe di ceremonial night program wey dem dey use welcome di New Year but later cancel am. Di state commissioner for information Funke Egbomode, say dia goment dey sensitive to di mood of di season, dat na why dem review dia position on di matter. She say "goment of Osun state don decide to allow cross over religious gatherings, but any organization wey wan do am go make sure say dem close on time and pipo must stay off di streets by 1am." Internet "crossover" The Redeemed Christian Church of God tell dia followers say dis year "crossover" go happun through internet service. For statement wey di church release, dem say di new development na to comply wit federal and state goment order sake of spike in Covid-19 infections. Although di General Overseer of di Living Faith Church, Bishop David Oyedepo, don dey protest against restrictions on public gathering, di fouder change im mind cancel di crossover service wey im church bin dey usually do between 10pm and 4am every December 31. Instead of crossover night service, dem go do evening service on Thursday wey go last for two to three hours, den on New Year by 7am dem go do live broadcast service from Faith Tabernacle, Otta. Also, di Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries led by Dr Daniel Olukoya say di church cross-over service go hold physically between 9pm and 11pm while dem go continue virtually into di New Year. Deeper Christian Life Ministry wey Pastor William Kumuyi be di Head go hold cross-over service starting from 10pm. And Lagos based church, Covenant Christian Centre say dia own crossover service go hold physically between 7pm to 9pm. But dem go broadcast dia second service online by 11pm to 1am. CAN make u-turn Although di Christian Association of Nigeria first tell BBC say dem no dey aware of any federal goment restrictions on crossover service for di New Year, di association make u-turn for statement wey im later release. Inside di statement, President of di association, His Eminence, Rev Dr Samson Ayokunle, tell all di churches for di kontri make dem strictly follow all Covid-19 directives wey relevant state goments give as dem prepare for crossover night. In say, "no sacrifice dey too much in order to end di pandemic once and for all." CAN advice churches say, states wey get ban on cross over night, make dem do service earlier and close latest 11pm.