• Urges prayers for Buhari
By Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City
The Delta State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, has described the politicians rumoured to be using some officers of the Nigeria Army to hijack the government as enemies of God and the country.
He also said it was rather painful that some Nigerians have decided to heap the nation’s woes on President Muhammadu Buhari, urging the citizens to pray for God’s intervention even as he absolved the president of any blame.
The Chief of Army Staff, General Tukur Buratai, had last week warned military officials to stay off politics and politically-related activities following information that some individuals had approached some officers and soldiers for undisclosed political reasons.
Okowa who stated this in an interview with journalists at the end of a seven-day convention tagged: ‘Too faithful to Fail’, organised by the Rock of Ages Christian Assembly International in Benin City, the Edo State capital, said it was ungodly and barbaric for people to wish President Buhari dead when they are supposed to be praying for him to stay alive and continue with the work of progress and unity of the nation.
“Don’t blame Buhari or those in government because your prayers can change anything in this nation. It can change the direction of the policy in this nation, it can change the recession that we are in, but unfortunately most times we don’t know what we carry as Christians.
“One thing I know about this country is that God is in charge and there is no reason for the health of the president to become an issue. We are suppose to be praying for the health of the president so if any politician is approaching the army then that person must be enemy of God and enemy of this country.Â
“We should pray for the president to stay alive and I don’t think it is of God to pray for your leaders to die. It’s God that determines when someone should be taken away or brought back. But I know that what we need to pray for is for the unity and progress of this nation and that is what I encourage everybody to pray about because Christians have a calling and that calling is to pray for our nation and its leadership,†the Delta State governor stressed.
He said the state was facing more challenges than any states in the South-south region and noted that prayers was the only way forward out of militancy which once rocked the oil rich state.
Okowa while explaining that because of the challenges, he declared every May 29 a day of worship and praise and urged the Christian community not to relent in praying for leaders and the country at large.Â
