The Savannah regional minister, Mr Adam Braimah Salifu, has on Tuesday 24th March, 2020, called on the clergy in the region, most especially Damongo to strictly adhere to the ban on social and religious gathering to help reduce the spread of the deadly disease called coronavirus as directed by the president of Ghana on 15th March 2020.
The minister said this in a meeting with the leadership of Muslims and Christians (Clergy) at the RCC conference hall, Damongo.
Mr Adam Salifu appealed appeal to them to put a stop to the Friday Jumah (congregation) prayers and any other prayers that will bring more than 25 worshipers together.
‘ I am not stopping you from prayers but at this hard times of the coronavirus, it is very dangerous to have more than ten(10) people Praying or sitting together. This can simply spread the infections.
The minister expressed his displeasure and revealed that some mosques in Damongo managed to say their Jumah prayers last Friday. ‘I got a call from above that the Muslims in Damongo had Jumah prayers last Friday and I want to appeal to you and the general public to put a stop to it’.
He hinted that the RECSEC will come hard on anybody who go against the directive.
‘I will be forced to invite the security to disperse worshipers if these acts are to be continued. But I don’t want us to get to that level’. The directive does not stop us from prayers but we should limit the number of people at a particular point in time’.
On the need to educate the masses towards the pandemic and religion, Mr Adam Braimah Salifu asked leadership of the clergy to present names of two persons each from the two religious bodies to the regional Chief Director, Alhaji Adam Mohammed, for further sensitization.
This is one of the worst virus to hit the nation.The number of coronavirus positive confirmed cases rose to 53 on Tuesday, 24th March with two (2) cases of death.
The West Gonja Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Saeed Muhazu Jibril, thanked the leaders for attending the meeting even after a short notice.
This meeting is an urgent one because the minister is scheduled to have a meeting with the top national security officers in Accra.
He appealed to the leadership to listen and abide by the directive as the coronavirus is spreading faster than expected in the country.
The clergy assured the minister that they will comply with the directive to help stop or reduce the virus infections rate..
The municipal chief Imam, Alhaji Amadu Mushie, asured the RCC that all mosques will be informed to offer the five (5) daily prayers with sizeable or small numbers. Muslims in the area will be asked to pray in their homes for the safety of the people.
The Vicar General of the Damongo Catholic Diocese, Msgr Augustine Towoni, said the churches have complied with the directive and will continue to go by the rules with the aim of stopping the spread of the disease. He explained that after the directive by government, the President of the Catholic Bishop Conference and other leadership of Churches called on their members to put a stop to church services. So we are all for it. Let’s help the WHO, government and ourselves to stop the spread of the virus. All of us will be praying and fasting tomorrow (Wednesday 25th March) for God to intervene and save the world from the pandemic.
The RCC will be meeting the transport owners and managers to discuss the possible ways to transport passengers to and fro their destinations without spreading the coronavirus infections.
Src: PADFMONLINE | Abdulai Zulkaninu.
