The Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja will work closely with religious organisations in the provision of humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable members of the society should the need arise following the outbreak of Coronavirus in Abuja.
The FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, disclosed this following a meeting he held with the leaders of the Christian and Muslim faithful in Abuja and was contained in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Anthony Ogunleye.
The meeting had in attendance, former AMAC Chairman, Hon. Zephaniah Jisalo, FCT Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria Rev. Samson Jonah, the Chairman, FCT League of Imams Dr. Tajudeen Adigun, and other religious leaders, as well as senior members of the FCTA management.
Malam Bello said: “Religious organizations should be at the forefront for humanitarian activities, particularly if the situation escalates to a point where there is a need for massive support for the poor and the vulnerable members of the society.
He also stated that the traditional institutions and religious leaders had organized structures that can be used and mobilized towards providing palliatives that will ease the problems of the weaker members of the communities.
The Minister also disclosed that as part of resolutions reached during the meeting, religious, traditional and political leaders would galvanize and mobilize individuals of means within the communities “so that we can create an extensive structure of safety net for our poor people.”
He said, “for us to fight this pandemic, every person has to be disciplined to comply with the regulations of periodic and constant handwashing with soap and water and alternatively, hand sanitizers.”
According to Malam Bello, the religious leaders agreed that it was imperative in these uncertain times to intensify prayers for divine intervention in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Minister said: “we’ve also agreed that in times like this, prayers are paramount. So, we are appealing to all residents and citizens of the FCT to continue to pray to God Almighty for us to get over this pandemic.
“The leaders of both religious groups have assured us that they ‘ll use their internal network to encourage individual prayers by their followers wherever they are, based on the already established protocol for such prayers by all the religious organisations.”
Meanwhile, the National Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, had disclosed on Saturday that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Nigeria now stands at 97.
