BY OSWALD AGWU
Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State has challenged the Church and preachers of the gospel to turn attention to the led rather than the leaders in seeking solutions to the challenges facing Nigeria as a nation.
Umahi threw the challenge in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, on Tuesday during the inauguration of the newly elected Southeast executives of the Christian Association of Nigeria.
The event was held in spite of the Sit-at-home order for Tuesday, by the Indigenous People of Biafra.
Umahi who lamented that the challenges at present were beyond the country's leaders, observed that God's intervention is needed at the moment.
He implored the Christian body to speak to their adherents on the potential and actual dangers in dishing out orders by some groups which are economically and socially counter productive.
The Governor who was obviously alluding to the recent sit-at-home orders in South-East by the Indigenous People of Biafra, expressed fears that a splinter group may arise within, a situation which according to him, could become threatening to the peace and corporate existence of the zone.
Umahi said: " Your eminence, we all came at a time that if we don't know our God, we would be questioning why he brought us to leadership at a time like this.
"We have passed through recessions; we have passed through terrible oil glut; we have passed through increased Boko haram insugency; we have passed through unemployment; we have passed through naira devaluation; we have passed through insecurity, and all kinds of things...
" When we look deeper into the word of God, we will realise that these things were predicted; it is a global issue.
"And I want to appeal to the body of Christ: our people listen so much to men of God, that's our culture.
"And I want to appeal that the challenges we are facing is not only because we are not doing our best as leaders.
"The led also have duties to perform. The President, the Governors may have done their best with god intentions.
"We need also to turn attention to the led, to each and everyone of us because most of the problems the leaders face are from the led.
"We listen to God through you. So, when you mount the pulpit, we need to change the narratives; can we integrate the challenges we are facing today in our ecumenism?
"I continue to challenge that our christian leaders can turn around this country
"Our faith is being challenged now, and if we shall all come together, according to the word of God...I think we can change the situation.
It is beyond we leaders; it is time for God to act."
Umahi further advised the IPOB to have a rethink, noting that the leaders may not usually be the ones directly affected by the consequences of their actions.
He said: " When you say sit-at-home, the Governors have enough food in their houses.
"Some of them, their children are outside the country.
" But I know that if the body of Christ and traditional institutions rise up, they will understand the dangers.
"I fear that a splinter group may rise...
" So I want the Christian body to let them understand the danger they are getting us into."
The National President of CAN, His Eminence, Rev. Sampson Ayokunke, in a homily titled "Engaging the grace of God for impactful leadership", he called on the new South-East executives to strive towards leaving a lasting legacy.
Reading from the Bible, 2nd epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, chapter 6, verse 1 through 3, Ayokunle further admonished the executives to discharge their functions without fear, adding "God who engaged you to work for him, He is also at work with you."
The inaugurated South east CAN chairman, Rev.Father Abraham Nwali, in an acceptance speech on behalf of his executive members, pledged to consistently work to foster ecumenical elements in the Southeast zone, as well as unity among all key players for both spiritual, social and economic development of the zone.
Nwali summed:"We will work assiduously to get a secretariat; To foster relationships among our founding fathers, the leaders of the Church and our elder statesmen in the Southeast... "
Among those inaugurated were Rev. S.C. Nwokolo as Vice Chairman; Venerable Jonathan Agbo as Secretary and Bishop Anayo Ilo as Treasurer.
