Osun state government has reversed the earlier order banning religious faithful from holding cross over night.
The state government had banned crossover night and directed security operatives to enforce the order.
While reacting to the order, the Chairman, Osun-CAN, Bishop Amos Ogunrinde, in a chat with newsmen in Osogbo, said the government will make another statement on cross over service.
He said the CAN was in talk with the state government, expressing optimism that government will have a rethink on the directives.
He said, “the government just took that step of stopping cross over services to bring people under check not that it is his wish to stop the cross over night.
“The CAN leadership and the government are in dialogue and we believe that the state government will make another statement on cross over service.
“Oyetola is a listening governor and he will do that. Very soon you will hear another statement,” CAN chairman stated.
However, in another statement on Tuesday evening, the Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Funke Egbemode, said the sensitivity to the mood of the season has necessitated a review of its earlier position.
The statement read in part: “The government of the State of Osun has decided to allow cross over religious gatherings, being sensitive to the mood of the season.
“But any organisation holding cross over service must note that they are expected to close the service early and everyone must be off the streets by 1:00am.
“Security operatives have been given the directive to enforce this guideline. Religious bodies and citizens are therefore advised to comply because we do not want anyone to spend the first day of the year in police custody.
“Also, the leadership of religious bodies must ensure strict adherence to safety protocols, which include accommodating only 50 percent capacity of their normal attendance, ensuring social distancing, use of nose mask or face fields by participants, avoidance of sharing materials and instruments and avoidance of any other action that can help the virus to spread.”
