Rivers State Governor and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has urged Christians to pray for a good leader who will transform the country and stop the tide of corruption.
Amaechi spoke during a meeting of Pentecostal Pastors and Followers under the aegis of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), held at the Convocation Arena of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt.
Amaechi said the current trend of events in the country indicates that something is wrong with the country.
He urged religious leaders to be part of the anti-corruption crusade while tasking politicians not to mix religion with politics.
He noted that elected leaders have the obligation to serve the people.
“We should ask ourselves that question and put that in prayer and whatever is wrong with us is not only with us, if things are going wrong with your sheep then you too must go to God and ask God ‘am I a bad shepherd?’ because if you are a good shepherd, you will act like Jesus Christ and go and look for the lost sheep and bring the lost sheep back to the fold and pray for the goodness and kindness of God.
“For now, it appears that our prayers have not been answered. If our prayers have been answered, Boko Haram instead of reducing is increasing every day. There is no day I have not heard about a successful attack. 10 months ago, we had kidnapping under our control, we had armed robbery under our control, now we don’t have that.”
He said that last Sunday, a friend of his was going to a burial with an NDDC Staff, on that road from Obiri Ikwerre to the Airport; they shot him dead and took the NDDC man. Three or four weeks ago, they kidnapped the (former) Chairman of Ahoada-West and kept him for three weeks in Sagbama in Bayelsa State.
Amaechi who claimed his mandate after nine months of struggle, said that he is the only Nigerian who did not contest election and became governor.
“We all need to pray for God to look at us now and give us the right leader. It’s not me; I have finished my governorship. There are vows I made to God before I became governor. Some of them I am keeping, some of them I am managing, some of them I am not. But for every day I wake up, I put my knees to the ground and pray to God. I say ‘Lord, don’t forget that I am human, You are God and as human, my human element will always show, when they show, God give me your mercy and compassion.”
The governor noted that he has kept his pledge to God to serve the people using resources of the state to address their needs.
He said his administration has provided infrastructures and essential services to people of the state such as educational, health facilities among others.
He said he is satisfied that one of the vows he has kept is taking care of the poor because of the public institutions he has built, the primary schools, the health centres, the hospitals that are serving people free.
The Governor challenged the people to hold leaders accountable in the management of their resources.
“We are poor because those of us in public office steal money that is meant for you and you are the problem because you don’t ask questions ‘where is our money?” Amaechi stated.
Giving the sermon at the event, Rev. Dr. Uma Ukpai said Christians need to live righteously with God to have victory and success.
Quoting various portions of scripture, . Ukpai also urged Christians to rely on God who is very dependable.
According to him, the ‘Dividends of Calvary’ as gains from the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus could be accessed by all Christians.
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