Prominent Nigerian clergyman, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has predicted that the world would soon return to normal despite the rising deaths from the dreaded coronavirus.
Adeboye, who leads the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), about the largest Pentecostal church in Nigeria, said in a televised broadcast on April 19, said “the return to normal living will commence in a matter of weeks.”
Over two million people have been infected by the virus, which was christened COVID-19, by WHO, with close to 200,000 dead from pandemic.
In Nigeria, over 600 people have been infected with about 18 people killed by the disease.
Many nations have ordered lockdown and restrictions of movement of their citizens as a way of checking the spread of the virus.
Consequently, large social and religious gatherings have been banned in those countries.
Cure for the virus is yet to be found.
‘‘I have good news for you. The return journey to normalcy has begun. Very soon your pastors will return to their duty posts. I have perhaps one more Sunday to spend with you (televised broadcast), then everything will return to normal,” Adeboye said.
The clergyman, who had earlier in the year predicted “compulsory holidays” across the world, commended the doctors for the efforts being made to curtail the pandemic.
He asked the worshippers and members of the public to ensure continuous hygienic habits to forestall the outbreak of a worse pandemic soon.
Adeboye also asked the Nigerian government to include the clergy in any committee it would set up to curtail such outbreaks.
‘’I also advise the government that in the future when they are setting up their committees, men of God should be included,’’ he said.
‘’I am not talking about small boys like me. I am talking about chief imams, arch bishops, others, so they can help them with the spiritual aspect of this warfare.
“I sincerely hope that we would all know at the end that it is not by our wisdom, our abilities, our planning that has given us whatever victory that we have already gotten.
“We need to return all the glory to God because as the elders will say, the rain can send you into the same hut more than once. We need to give the glory to God because we don’t want the victory we have won so far to be reversed.’’
He warned that coronavirus like any other scourge, may return after it has relapsed.
He said, ‘’If you ask any doctor, he (she) would tell you that the most difficult cancer to handle is the cancer that relapses,’’ he said.”
‘’We don’t want a relapse of this scourge. Like I said before, this coronavirus, by the grace of God, will recede. But don’t let anybody deceive you. It is not going to disappear 100 per cent. Flu came about a 100 years ago. It receded. Ebola came. It receded. You know very well they have not died completely. Let’s give all the glory to God that He will see that our victory is complete.’’
Adeboye also advised Nigerians not to be in a hurry to travel out of the country even after the coronavirus has been contained.
“Any journey abroad that is not very crucial should be postponed. God will give us victory before it extends to the rest of the world. So I urge that all the jumping up and down be suspended until everything is safe again.”