By Harry Awurumibe, Head, Abuja Bureau
For the first time in many years, except in the time of wars, Christian faithful especially Abuja residents stayed away from Easter Sunday church services today in obedience to the Federal Government lockdown order occasioned by the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has been in 14 days lockdown alongside Lagos and Ogun states as well as many others in the country to curb the spread of the Coronavirus disease. The order includes Physically Distancing and clamp down on religious gatherings.
This has, however, hit the Christian faithful especially hard as the order came in the middle of the most important period in their religious beliefs which anchored in the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Lord Jesus Christ with Easter Sunday the peak of the Christian celebrations.
But the Christian faithful in Abuja unlike in the past years did not go to churches to worship as many prayed in their homes while some followed the church services social media platforms and traditional communications channels like television and radio stations.
Venerable Oludare Otoki, Vicar of Basilica of Grace Anglican Church at Gudu, Apo District of FCT did not hold church service as he had earlier admonished the faithful that the church is still observing the Physical Distancing, saying that “there will be no Corporate Worship”.
It was the situation at various churches especially the big cathedral owned by the big three churches- Catholic, Anglican, and Apostolic just as the large worship centers operated by the known Pentecostal churches were deserted today.
PromptNews can confirm that most Christian adherents have imbibed the new orientation of worshipping at home since the lockdown started hence they did not venture out of their homes today.
Also affected by the lockdown is the hospitality industry which has always benefited from celebrations such as Easter.
Our correspondent can authoritatively say that most of the hotels, restaurants, and eateries in FCT are like ghosts town as patronage has dropped significantly during the lockdown.
Same at the various gardens and children parks as nobody wants to risk his or her life to go out to Socialize again hence residents are celebrating in their hoods or houses.
