For exempting them from the adjustment and relaxation of lockdown restriction made by the Kano State government, thousands of Seventh Day Adventist worshipers in the state have raised concern.
Consequently, they have urged Kano State government to include Saturday in the days permitted for worshipers to exercise their religious rites during the partial lockdown imposed on the state.
Alleging that overtime, they have been victims of marginalization in the formulation of government policies, they condemned the non-consideration of their religious ordinance when policies affecting religious worship are formulated.
A popular Kano-based Sabbath worshipper and a member of the Community of Yahweh, Uche Nna, said that there are millions of worshippers across the globe who, in compliance with the Mosaic injunctions, observe their Christian worship on Saturdays.
He said, “In Israel, Saturday is observed as the Sabbath, same in the US and other countries of the world. In Nigeria and Kano State, we have millions of Sabbath worshippers.
“When the Christian leadership met Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, they never attempted to make a case for us, even when it is clear that we are part of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Kano branch. Also, we have a representation in CAN through the Organization of African Instituted Churches, OAIC.
“It will not be wrong to say that we are marginalized all the time. We want Governor Ganduje to please take note that we have Saturday worshipers and from now, he should take us into consideration whenever his government is doing anything for religious groups.”
Another Saturday worshiper and journalist, Maduabuchi Jerry, said, “I am a Seven Day Adventist, I am a Christian. We worship on Saturday, as directed by the Holy Bible that we should remember the Sabbath to keep it holy. Saturday is the Sabbath day. We keep it holy as we were directed by the Holy Bible.
“There are many other Christian groups who worship on Saturday. We welcome the lockdown. What worries me is that Christians who worship on Saturday have been deprived the opportunity to worship God. Before now, we were disenfranchised when elections are held on Saturday without considering hundreds of thousands of Saturday worshipers in Nigeria.”
Commending the state government for easing the lock down to pave way for Christian and Muslim worshipers to exercise their fundamental human rights, he said that Saturday worshippers should be included in the planned lift of embargo on worship.
But a laywer, M.O. Ifem, disagreed with the Saturday worshippers, saying that the Kano State government, in its action, has not infringed on the fundamental rights of any religious group.
He opined that the modification made to the lockdown order was not anchored on a religious tripod, adding that laying claims to rights when the world and Kano State are in the fight against COVID-19 would not augur well
He urged Kano residents to invest their energies on adhering to COVID-19 protocols, so that the state could be totally unlocked.
