Gov Emmanuel
…Urges Church leaders to rally congregation for voter registration, Covid sensitization, ors
…wants group to tone down rthetoric of 2023 succession politics
Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel has vowed to completing all ongoing projects in the state before 2023, but lamented the global challenge posed by Covid-19 in the world which has affected manufacturers to produce adequate quantity to ship to Nigeria.
The Governor who was the Special Guest of Honour stated this at a breakfast meeting with the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Akwa Ibom State Chapter on Friday, at Ibom Icon And Golf Resort, Uyo also called on Christian leaders to support his administration in fervent prayers to achieve his vision as encapsulated in the 8 point agenda to Akwa Ibom people, emphasizing the need to play down on the pressure for a successor as his successor will be chosen by God.
He called on Christians in the state to take active role in leadership and governance where they can contribute to the growth of the society and advised fathers of faith under the umbrella of CAN in their various churches to create the consciousness of the emergence of the third wave of COVID-19 to their members to adhere to the safety measures, maintain high level of hygiene in order to reduce the rate of contracting the virus.
The Governor urged Christian leaders to create the awareness and sensitization about Voters’ Registration Exercise in their congregation, maintaining that Christians ought to take advantage of the exercise including registration of National Identification Number (NIN) in order to put the state ahead in data collection.
In his words, “Please the continuous voters’ registration is going on please can we endeavor to register, so many Christians are not registered voters.
All this ones we are saying will not make meaning if we don’t go out to register. When you are preaching in church ask your members have you gone to register? We keep cheating ourselves as a people, this National Identification number if I check inside this room so many pastors do not have it, so let us not take these things for granted because some of these things are used as indices for revenue sharing but we don’t know. Population is one of it’’.
He called on Christian leaders in the state to downplay the politics of who takes over from him in 2023, saying the recent wave of religious politics of who his successor will be is distracting.
According to Governor Emmanuel, ‘’It is only in Akwa Ibom state that you hear of the call for successor, in Abia, Cross River or Rivers state I have not heard, why is it only in Akwa Ibom day and night governor successor, successor they should leave me alone. The vote that you gave us let us give the dividends of democracy, let us even account for it. We cannot be a country where we think only of election and not the next generation’’.
“Please the noise is just too much, show me successor, even if God has shown me I am not going to show them yet, let’s work. All said and done gone are the days when Christians will queue behind and allow those who have no business to it, I am sure the event of the past six years has taught us in this country that Christians should no more go backwards but be involved and participate. If Christians think politics is so dirty murky waters of politics who are people who will make the water clean?”, he admonished.
In his opening remarks, the Chairman, Christian Association of Nigerian (CAN), Akwa Ibom State, Rev. Ndueso Ekwere, affirmed the support of Christian community in the state for governor Udom Emmanuel, in his industrialization drive and the peaceful disposition of the state, pledging to stand by the governor in his succession plan.
Rev. Ekwere, conveyed the appeal of the Christian leaders to governor Udom Emmanuel to name a Christian successor that will preserve the legacies he has bequeathed to the state.
‘’Your Excellency, we want to say emphatically that our major issues and reason for this meeting with you today is to appeal to you to preserve the legacies you have bequeathed to all Akwa Ibomites through industrialization, massive infrastructural development, you must not allow anybody who will worship God in pretence to succeed you in 2023”.
In his exhortation, Bishop Emma Isong, who tagged his message ‘The Aaronic Legacy’ from Heb: 5: 4, noted that it is God who makes leaders despite our efforts involvement in politicking and campaigns, but once God’s Grace singles you out, He qualifies you for the position.
High point of the event was a vote of confidence passed on Governor Udom Emmanuel and declaration of support of the Christian community for his administration.
