CAN Calls for Palliatives to Cushion Impact of Pandemic

CAN Calls for Palliatives to Cushion Impact of Pandemic

By Onyebuchi Ezigbo

The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), His Eminence, Rev. Dr. Samson Ayokunle, has asked the federal and state governments to provide palliatives that would cushion the effects of the economic lockdown on the masses.

The CAN, IN a statement issued by the Special Assistant (Media &Communications) to the CAN President, Pastor Adebayo Oladeji, urged Nigerians not to be afraid in order to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ayokunle said: “I call on our governments to provide palliatives for the people who cannot provide their daily needs as a result of the lockdown order. People cannot be lockdown in hunger for a long time. You are not the only government that gave such an order but governments all over the world are providing relief assistance to the people.

According to him, the United States’ government had approved $2 trillion as palliatives to enable its citizens to adapt to the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak.

He said: “Both the Democrats and the Republicans in the Congress have buried their political differences and they are now working together. This is what governance is all about. I appeal to our governments to do likewise. This will make us to trust them more as they are managing our commonwealth.”

The president reiterated the CAN’s directive to the local churches nationwide to provide palliatives to the worshippers was meant to reduce the burden of the lockdown period.

Ayokunle, who also doubled as the President of the Nigerian Baptist Convention (NBC), narrated how he escaped a plane crash recently while in the United States on his way back home to buttress the homily.

“That was what happened in February when I was flying from Washington DC to Atlanta to catch my flight coming to Nigeria. After boarding, the flight was delayed on the runway for about half an hour and later the 30 minutes became one hour. And eventually when we took off we were welcomed by a very strong storm. I was hearing ‘gba, gbu, gba,gbu’ and I said, the Almighty God, I can see You at work. I know you are in the storm manifesting your power and glory. I worship your majesty. We your children are here, continue watching over us.

“The storm was raging for a long time and it prolonged the journey from one hour, twenty minutes to almost three hours. Even when we got to Atlanta, our plane couldn’t find a place to land but I kept on praising and glorifying the Almighty. Our God is always at work on our behalf and we should not be afraid,” he said.

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