•Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State
Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara has said that God allowed the ongoing political crisis in the state to give him and the people of the freedom.
The governor spoke last night when the Primate of the Anglican Communion Church of Nigeria, His Eminence, Henry Ndukauba, led other bishops to pay him a visit in Government House, Port Harcourt.
Fubara recalled the earlier efforts of the Primate to resolve the crisis but said all the interventions failed to yield the required results, reports The Nation.
Addressing the Primate, he said: “I start first in a very unusual way to say thank you to the Primate. This appreciation would have come much earlier and many of you may not understand why I am thanking him.
“When our crisis started in this state, as a man of God who believes that the two parties are people from his own communion, he made every effort to bring peace.
“He made several phone calls and booked several appointments but none of them was granted to him so he could talk to us so that there will be peace. So, I want to thank you for what you did even though it didn’t yield the required result, but you see God has a way of doing his things.
“May be if we have gotten that your peace, I won’t be enjoying the freedom that I am enjoying today. So at times God will be saying let the trouble be there so that there will be peace. But that is not to say that we encourage trouble. Peace remains the best thing, both internally and externally that can only attract development”.
The governor expressed happiness that the Diocese was holding the Standing Committee Meeting in Rivers saying it came at a time his government needed all the prayers to stand and keep functioning.
He said the theme of the meeting, the Bond of Peace, was apt, observing that the daily events and occurrences indicated that peace was urgently needed in the country.
He said God is the one directing the activities of his government and that he would not take the glory and power that belong to God.
He said: “So, I thank you for standing with us, supporting and encouraging us with your prayers in your quiet time which is greater, not the noise making or the protest that we are engaging. But those quiet prayers and fasting, like my Archbishop has days of prayers for us.
“I want to thank you for all of it and you are seeing the result of it. You are seeing it with what we are doing in the state. The kind of governance we are providing not the ones seeking for attention. It is governance of peace, freedom for people to operate, a government that listens and admit at any point that we are faulty to make amends. It is only your prayer that is giving us those directions and wisdom”.
The governor assured them that his administration would not deviate from the fear of God and would continue to support the work of God.
“This is when the work is needed the most, we need the church now with technological explosion so that morality and fear of God should be the key thing to mould our children.
“So, I assure you that this administration supports for the Christendom is first and top most . I believe strongly that at the end of this meeting decisions reached will also strengthen the Anglican Communion. Let me commend the Primate for what he is doing, it is not an easy task, to lead others, but keep working with everyone”, he said.
Primate Ndukauba, explained that they were in Rivers to hold the Standing Committee Meeting of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion.
He said the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion has about 170 bishops and about 165 dioceses with membership of about 20 million people.
Describing leadership as a sacred trust from God, the Primate said they would pray for the governor and appreciate his achievements in the state.
Addressing the governor, he said: “In spite of the challenges that you are facing, we thank God that you have kept focus and you are executing the things that you needed to do as the Executive Governor of this State.
“Once God spoke, twice we have heard that excellency of authority and power belongs to God and it is in His hands to give to whoever He wishes. So as the sovereign Lord, He has the power to raise and to remove, but it has pleased Him that you are there today.
“Though the situation may be challenging we have seen the enormous work that you are doing and we thank God for you and we will continue to pray for you”.
