Why we can’t wear face masks in church, by Okotie
As some private schools and public schools are now demanding for COVID-19 tests as pre-requisite before students can return to schools, the National President of Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN), Dr. Bassey Enya, has said that it is an aberration for individuals to pay for the COVID-19 test.
He said: “It is an aberration for individuals to pay for the test, as the consequence is that we will not be able to achieve mass testing for COVID-19. This will affect the response to the pandemic.”
The association, which also condemned the NCDC’s role in accrediting labs for COVID-19 testing, said the centre had failed to follow the law of the country in area of accreditations, saying: “By law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, it is the sole responsibility of the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN) to accredit and establish guideline for labs.”
In another development, the Shepherd Superintendent Household of God Church, Oregun, Revd Chris Okotie, has kicked against use of face masks in the church by members, noting that service will not resume on Sunday, August 9, 2020.
Okotie, in a 28-minute broadcast sent via Whatsapp to his church members, stated that although he accepted the imperatives of the safety precautions to contain the spread of the virus, but the wearing of face masks or face shield was unacceptable.
According to him, putting on any type of face mask or face shield to the church means reintroducing the veil which was torn the moment Jesus Christ died on the Cross because with the tearing of the veil, there is no longer separation between God and His people and that wearing of face masks would reverse the order, which is unacceptable.
Okotie, who stated that he decided to speak out on the issue because the face mask is now graduating into a face shield, which is a veil, insisted that for the church to resume, the altar has to be in order, adding that Christians should not rush to God just because they love to worship Him.
