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FGN not denying churches of tithes and offering, Lauretta Onochie says about new COVID-19 restrictions

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PRESIDENTIAL AIDE TO SENATORS: You were rejects until you rode on Buhari's back to Senate

An aide to President Muhammadu Buhari, Lauretta Onochie has said the new restrictions imposed by the Federal Government on religious gatherings in the country are not meant to deny churches of tithes and offerings.

Ripples Nigeria had reported on Monday that the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 through its Chairman, Boss Mustapha, placed a limit on the number of persons allowed at religious gatherings and other events in the country.

Mustapha, who is also the Secretary to the Federal Government (SFG), announced the new restrictions in the wake of the second wave of the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

He said on Monday: “Restrict all informal and formal festivity events including weddings, conferences, congresses, office parties, concerts, seminars, sporting activities, end of year events shall be restricted to not more than 50 persons.

Read also: Buhari’s aide, Lauretta Onochie accuses CNN of ‘lying to the world’ about Nigeria

“Limit all gatherings linked to religious events to less than 50 per cent capacity of the facility of use during which physical distancing; mandatory use of face masks shall be strictly enforced. ”

While reacting to the announcement, Onochie said that the decision “is a matter of life and death.”

She said further: “This is not an evil government trying to take the joy off of Christmas.

“It’s not a way of denying church leaders their offerings and tithes.

“It’s not the government denying us the opportunity of seeing our families whom we have not seen for a while.

“This is not about Islam versus Christianity. Coronavirus has no religion.”

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