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GOVERNOR Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State and Vice-Presidential Candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has said that drastic steps must be taken to pull the country out of the worsening spate of insecurity and economic quagmire.
He also called for constitutional review to pave the way for devolution of powers, particularly giving more powers to states to establish their own police outfit as a way to tackle insecurity, pointing out that the nation was in perilous times.
Speaking at Government House, Asaba, when he received leaders of South-South Zone of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Okowa, lamented the continuous stay of tertiary institutions’ students at home due to ongoing strike action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASSU.
He said: “There is no doubt that we are very challenged as a nation and it appears that all hope is lost, particularly to the younger ones. But I am one person that believes that all hope is not lost.
“Whatever thing that we have seen in the last seven years, I believe that God has allowed it for a purpose. I believe that there are lessons to be learnt.
“As at today, there is so much insecurity; the economy is going really down beyond what you think and know. Most Nigerians don’t even know how huge these challenges are.
“With the things going on now in the Education sector, it’s not what anyone would wish for our country. We need to be very prayerful.”
Urging Christians not to allow political intrigues to pollute the Church and divide it, the governor stressed the need for Christians to pray for “recovery” and unity of the country.
Okowa said: “I am saying this because from the conversations I am beginning to see, I want to be sure that the church will not because of politics divide itself.
“The church in itself must be very prayerful that the will of God be done in 2023. We may have our individual preferences but we must be cautious about the unity of the church.
“Although we are traumatised as Christians but we must be careful not to, because of that trauma, take decisions that may not actually be the will of God.”
Earlier in his remarks, the leader of the team, Archbishop Israel Ege, thanked Okowa for his support for Christians in Delta and the South South, assuring him of their support at all times.
Congratulating the governor on his emergence as Vice Presidential candidate of the PDP and for his transformation agenda in Delta, he charged him to remain a good ambassador of the church in his political career.
