. By Success Afolayan .
The Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, has made a passionate appeal to all Ekiti citizens to always support and help his government with prayer supplications to be able to triumph and deliver on its promises to the populace.
The Governor made the appeal during Ekiti State Christains’ Pilgrims Welfare Board’s thanksgiving service held at the Christ Apostolic Church, Rejoice Arena, Afao road, Ado Ekiti, to mark the pilgrims’ safe return from the holy land.
A reception was subsequently organised for the pilgrims at Jibowu Hall, Government’s House, Ado Ekiti capital city and was attended by the Deputy Governor and top government functionaries like the Permanent Secretary, office of the Deputy Governor, Mr Abayomi Opeyemi, Executive Secretary of the pilgrims’ board, Mr Malomo Agbaje, the pilgrims, among others.
The Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye, led Ekiti contingents for the 10-day sojourn to the holy land, after which they returned to the state on April 9,2023.
The Governor, who was represented at the church service by his Deputy, Mrs Afuye, appealed to the pilgrims to manifest the lessons learnt in holy land in their leadership positions, applauding Governor Oyebanji for availing the participants the platform to travel to Israel.
Oyebanji said he has begun to impact positively in the lives of the people through massive road rehabilitation, wealth creation, employment generation and payment of workers’ salaries regularly to be able to give the best services to the state.
“What Mr Governor needs from you are prayers and support. Continue to pray for this government. We are determined to make the welfare of the people a top priority. This is a government that is ready to be selfless and make the right sacrifices to make Ekiti great and bear good fruits.
“You can all see the aggressive road rehabilitation we are undertaking across our state and the priority will place on employment . We have started recruitment process for the employment of 1,000 primary school teachers.
“We will continue to work hard to make our people happy by delivering on all our promises. We won’t disappoint the citizens that elected us”.
Speaking about the significance of the trip, Oyebanji, said: “I charge our Christian brothers to try and visit Israel once in lifetime and see all that were recorded in the Bible to rebuild their spiritual lives and strengthen their faiths in God”.
In his goodwill message, the Executive Secretary, Ekiti State Christains’ Pilgrims Welfare Board, Barrister Malomo Agbaje, urged the citizens to embrace another opportunity to holy land that is coming in November this year to strengthen their spiritual growth.
In his sermon, the presiding Cleric of the Church, Pastor Segun Awolumate, appealed to Nigerians to stop tagging their leaders “Messiahs”, saying only God can deliver a nation from afflictions.
Of particularly reference, Pastor Segun Awolumate, advised the pilgrims to rededicate themselves to God and humanity, describing this as the way to make their voyage to holy land rewarding and profitable physically and spiritually.
The man of God said; “Those our leaders we referred to as Messiahs always failed in Nigeria. It started with the late Gen. Murtala Mohammed. People were rejoicing believing that he was the Messiah, he spent six months and died. It was so because God will never share his glory with anybody.
“It also happens in our families. The expectations of wives from husbands were so high and most husbands become frustrated as a result of these. Things they ought to call on God to do, they will rely on their husbands and that was exactly what is happening to us in government”.
