From: Segun Babatunde in Bauchi
Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, has lamented that Nigeria is bedeviled with many “evils” like insurgency, banditry, kidnapping which have defied all solutions.
He stated this in his speech at a one day prayer rally organized by the Christian Association of Nigeria(CAN), Bauchi State Chapter held at the CAN Secretariat, Yelwa, Bauchi yesterday.
The Governor, who was represented by the Speaker, Bauchi State House of Assembly(BAHA), Abubakar Suleiman, described the prayer rally tagged: “Let us rebuild the Walls” as “well-thought and timely.”
According to him, “We are all aware that Nigeria deserves prayers, we are bedeviled with so many evil factors , insecurity in terms of Boko Haram, kidnapping, banditry and they seem to defy all efforts by governments and individuals.
“And the only way out to me, is this type of programme, that is prayer. Nigeria needs prayers. Prayer is the only solution to Nigeria’s problems.”
Mohammed thanked the Bauchi State Chapter of CAN for the foresight to organize the prayer rally at this crucial time described prayer as a great and only tool Nigerians must use in overcoming the challenges confronting them.
“Prayers bring us close to God, as mentioned in John 15:15, the more close we come to God, the more our problems will be solved. Prayer brings light to darkness and am sure you will agree with me that there is darkness everywhere in the world and in this country. The way out is prayer.
“Prayer is only to get light for this darkness as in Ephesians 6.12. Prayer protects us from evil, there are so many evils that have been fashioned out against us, the politicians, Clergymen, Imams, everybody, but God Almighty will not allow that evil to reach us.
“Prayer brings breakthrough and Nigeria needs breakthrough, peace, progress and development. We need prayer to rebuild our country, our state and homes,” he advised.
He expressed gratitude to the Christian Community for the support and cooperation they give to his administration. He also thanked them for their prayers and obedience to the constituted authorities and laid down rules and regulations in the state.
He passionately appealed Christians to accept the ongoing COVID-19 vaccination noting that security reports reaching him reveals that the Christian Community is running away form the vaccination because some Christians believe that it is anti-Christ.
In his speech, the CAN Chairman in the state, Rev. Abraham Damina Dimeus, said that the unfortunate situations that have bedeviled the country informed the decision of the leadership of CAN to organize the prayer rally noting that the society we are in today is alien to the norms and tenets of Christianity.
He added that it is an established fact that the devil is fighting and trying to take over the world by inflicting Christians with ugly happenings so that our faith in the Lord will go weary.
Demieus said: “The World is at the verge of collapsing, because the atrocities are on the increase and we cannot sit down and watch the situation deteriorating in our days without swinging into action. What we are doing today is to cry to God for mercy and to help restore back to us our lost glory.
“This is a clarion call on all the churches and the Nigerian citizen to repent corporately so that the ugly situations that have marred our land be averted. The king of Neniveh said, “But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, let everyone call urgently on God; let them give up their evil ways and their violence, (Jonah 3: 8 NIV).
“There was a dramatic turnaround of the impending doom of Nineveh and I like to urge all church leaders to lead our adherers to keep praying until this problem of kidnapping, arm banditry, boko haram, poverty, cultism, political crisis, land disputes and all their cohorts seize, God is watching the church and also depending on the church to proffer solution to our lingering challenges through prayers.”
He appreciated the governor for the love he shows to the church in Bauchi state pointing out that he has promised to help the Christian Community complete the CAN Secretariat project and has provided a new grave yard to the Christian community in Bauchi state.
Chairman, Bogoro local government area of the state, Hon. Iliya Habila, in his goodwill message, said that those at the rural areas feel much of the brunt of insecurity.
“We, at the rural areas, the local governments, bear much from the burdens of all these evils – evils of poverty, evils of insecurity, evils of lack of unity. We therefore, need much of these prayers.
“We want to tap into these prayers that are made because there is not session that has been dedicated to the local government areas. Next time, remember to include us because when there are attacks, we are the first people to receive these problems.
Habila expressed gratitude to the Bauchi governor for the way he is running the affairs of this state, “he has ensured that everybody is carried along, when there is justice, you will find peace; no wonder, we have relative peace in the state”. END
