BY VICTOR NWEGEDE
Governor David Nweze Umahi has sent a special message to all Ebonyi citizens especially the elders of the state and those struggling to become his successor.
Prominent in the message was that God instructed him to build a garden of Prayers, where anyone that is troubled and comes there can receive the instant solution to his/her problems.
The same garden of prayers according to Governor Umahi is the place to stay and pray for the incoming Governor of Ebonyi state in 2023.
He said that the Church together with Ebonyi elders will join hands together to produce the continuity Governor - his successor in 2023, advising whosoever want to succeed him to start going there to pray, believing God will make a best choice for Ebonyians through the garden of prayers.
"God said to me to build a garden of prayers, a garden that we shall be calling Ebonyi garden of prayers, anyone that is troubled and comes here can receive the instant solution and that is the place we are going to stay and pray for the incoming governor.
"The Church together with Ebonyi elders will join hands together to produce the continuity governor, so if you want to be, you can start going there to pray, who knows the anointing could flow.
"It is the time to take stock, it is time to count your blessings, I love that song that says 'count your blessings.'
"Many started the year but they couldn't complete it but by the grace of God we are alive and kicking," Umahi said.
The governor sent this message in less than 18 months before his successor would take over from him, during the annual end of the 2021 Thanksgiving amidst Praise and Worship by Ebonyi State government.
The Thanksgiving service took place at the newly built State of the Art, Government House Chapel, Ochoudo Centenary City Abakaliki on Sunday 12th December, 2021 by his administration.
Governor Umahi thanked God for the grace to complete the construction of the new Government House Chapel.
"I feel so excited to be in this place, to be in the House of the Lord, this place is a grace of God rooted through several persons to be. I thank my pastor who has been working day and night to ensure the completion of this place. I thank also my wife, she did the decorations here," he stated.
He noted: "As a state, we came first in so many areas, we came second in so many areas, in SFTAS, just last week, we got a grant of 7million US Dollars, so we are grateful to God.
"We are determined to complete all the whole ongoing projects, there is no State in Nigeria that has completed the number of flyovers we have in a single administration, so we are no longer competing with any State in Nigeria, we are rather competing with Dubai.
"I must commend my EXCO members for the wonderful monitoring day and night, I will be lifting the suspension on all Exco members and Civil Servants except those from Effium and Ezza Effium."
He commended his wife, Mrs. Rachel Umahi for always standing by him to succeed in his onerous duty as the Governor of the State.
"In every fight, there should be a window for reconciliation, my wife is my window for reconciliation, and for other First Ladies, do not meddle in the affairs of the State," he added.
Governor Umahi thanked the Deputy Governor Dr. Kelechi Igwe, the Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Right Honourable Francis Nwifuru, the Chief Judge, Justice Elvis Ngene, and other leaders of the other organs of Government for the maximum cooperation offered the State in the outgoing year.
The governor also announced the lifting of the suspension of Acting Auditor General of the State, Mr. Samuel Uduma and his subsequent confirmation as the substantive Auditor General with immediate effect.
He said the administration hopes to complete the International Airport and the Stadium and other projects within the coming year while the King David University of Medical Sciences Uburu and the Hospital would take off next year.
Governor Umahi debunked insinuations in the Social Media that the IPOB would not allow Mr. President to visit Ebonyi State, saying that the publication is a piece of fake news from opposition elements.
He also trashed the rumors that he is planning to return to the PDP, saying he is satisfied with the peace he is enjoying in the All Progressives Congress, APC.
"They said I want to return to PDP, with all these achievements? that man that does not even have a road to his house, I say may God not forgive him.
"I say thank you to the opposition in Ebonyi State, opposition in Ebonyi State is about bitterness and that is not how it is supposed to be."
The Chaplain of the Government House Chapel, Pastor Eunice Oyeyemi thanked Governor Umahi for constructing the ultramodern Chapel for the worship of God in the seat of power.
She attributed the successes of the State Government in the outgoing year to the direction of God and praised Governor Umahi for submitting to the Divine directions of God almighty.
"In 2021, we are in a befitting structure to the glory of God, if you know what grace of God can do, then it is certain that it is the product of the grace of God in Ebonyi State.
"Some State Governments are still in their old Government House Chapel that is not befitting but Ebonyi State State House Chapel is the finest, I want to thank His Excellency the Governor for his visionary leadership, this is the finest Government House Chapel I have seen and Your Excellency I am glad that you made me the Chaplain of this beautiful Chapel.
"Today we are here to thank God for the kind of Governor that we have, His Excellency Deacon David Umahi, and above all, we are thanking God because we are all alive to witness this day and end of the year."
The Thanksgiving service which witnessed the presence of State government functionaries featured special prayers for the first family and the state government for God's continued guidance in the incoming year.
