President of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) in Nigeria and the Diaspora, Rev. Jeremiah M. Gado, has commended Governor Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe State for ‘striving hard’ to promote peace and unity among the various ethnic and religious groups in the state.
“I want to sincerely thank Your Excellency for striving hard to promote peace and unity among the various ethnic and religious divides in the state. Without peace and unity, there can never be any meaningful development anywhere”, he said.
Gado spoke during a courtesy visit to the governor at Government House, Damaturu.
The ECWA president said that he visited the governor to also commiserate with him and the government and people of Yobe State over recent security challenges occasioned by Boko Haram terrorism.
“Innocent citizens of this state have been terrorized, maimed, brutalised, dehumanised, abducted and dispossessed of their hard-earned property and chased away from their homes by heartless religious fundamentalists.
“As father of the state, I know all these evils have given you serious concerns”, he said.
While expressing his sympathies and those of his Church, Rev. Gado prayed Almighty God to never allow such crises to happen again.
The ECWA President also used the opportunity of his visit to ask for the governor to intervene in a matter regarding a piece of land in Gashu’a Town, in which there was disagreement between ECWA and people in the community.
Governor Gaidam expressed his gratitude to the ECWA President for the visit and prayers over the security situation in the state.
He said that the visit has provided opportunity “to discuss matters aimed at fostering inter-religious tolerance and harmony in our state and Nigeria in general.
“It is also gratifying for me to note that the aim of your visit to our state is in recognition of our leadership qualities and good governance which have enabled us deliver dividends of democracy to our citizens covering all sectors. Above all, it is a further recognition of our resolute determination to promote harmonious co-existence and unity in our beloved state”, the governor said.
Gaidam assured Reverend Gado that he would continue to serve all the people of the state irrespective of cultural or religious differences.
“We shall continue to serve our people with honour and create enabling environment for the people entrusted in our care by the Almighty Allah to live peacefully with one another and improve their living condition through the various policies and programmes being implemented by our administration.
“Thus, we shall not relent in our efforts in addressing the problem facing our state headlong. We shall Insha Allah achieve this with the active contributions of all stakeholders concerned with the progress and development of our state irrespective of their socio-economic, cultural or religious differences. After all, our goal has always been the creation of a happy society where all of us shall be proud to belong and live in”, he said.
The governor described the ECWA president as a ‘catalyst and unifying force for peace’ and urged him to continue to nudge his followers to follow the teachings of the Prophet Isa (Jesus AS).
“I urge you to continue to transmit the teachings of the Holy Prophet Isa Alaihis-salam or Jesus Christ on humility, selfless service and tolerance among others all of which were the hallmarks of his life on earth.
“I want to believe that, if all our people particularly our brothers in the Christian faith commit themselves to these teachings, we shall collectively rebuild a new nation, rekindle hope of salvaging our nation and place it once again on the path of socio-economic development, and prosperity.
“May I also take this opportunity to commend the efforts and contributions rendered by the ECWA Church over the years in promoting peaceful coexistence with followers of other religions in this part of the country and Nigeria as a whole”, the governor said.
The governor also revealed that the administration has resuscitated Islamic and Christian Preaching Control Committees to issue preaching licences and that only those qualified to preach are allowed to do so.
The state chief executive also said that he would liaise with the commissioner of justice to understand the legal status of the Gashu’a case which has been filed in court, saying government is “disposed to amicable settlement of the matter”.
