The second session of the twenty- Second synod of the Diocese of Niger Delta, Anglican Communion held at the St. Augustine’s Church, Abonnema has ended with a call on Politicians and their supporters to allow brotherly love exists amongst them, as the youths are charged to embrace peace while the churches are urged to earnestly pray for love, peace, and stability of the nation.
The Bishop, Diocese of the Niger Delta who is also the synod president, Rt. Rev’d Ralph Cornelius Ebirien (JP) made the call while reading his charge and address to the synodists and lauded the executive governor of Rivers State, Chief Barrister Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, CON for fast tracking infrastructural development of the State, asserting that he is fulfilling his campaign promises and appealed to him to revisit the Bille/Bonny/Nembe Jetty Project, the Andoni/Ogoni/Opobo Unity Road, trans Kalabari road, the Government jetty at Marine Base and the Port Harcourt Boat Club Jetty.
Speaking on the nation security, the president of the synod equally condemned the activities of the dreaded killer sect-Boko Haram in the North East saying, “This is a serious matter that needs to be addressed seriously”.
According to him the Internally Displaced Persons are continuously living in camps and schools which lack social facilities and are exposed to poor sanitary environment with its health hazards coupled with poor feeding. The Bishop therefore called on the federal government to urgently wage the war against the insurgency to the end and as well curtail the activities of the fulani herdsmen in the country while tasking security operatives to beef up security in the southern region against the menace of kidnapping which is also affecting the nation’s economy as lives and property are being destroyed.
In a related development the 11 points synod communiqué signed by the bishop Rt. Rev’s Ebirien, the synod security ven. Amavey Christian Abbey-Kalio and the Diocesan Communicator, Dame Lizzy Wilfred Fombo has called on President Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR) to heed the call by Nigerians to urgently convene an economic summit to be addressed by economic experts to halt the economy from total depression while stressing on the need for the federal government to diversify economy by developing the agricultural and solid mineral sectors.
The Communiqué also frowned at the prolonged fuel scarcity and hike in the nation as it called on the federal government to set in motion effective machinery to halt the trend to salvage the sufferings and pains of the teaming masses.
Furthermore, synod equally condemned the obnoxious practice of same sex marriage and called on parents to bring up their children in the ways of the lord by teaching them the values of love, obedience, unity, respect, honesty, peace, humility and contentment, and urged the three tiers of government to create more employment opportunities forth youths to reduce indulgence in criminalities.
Meanwhile, in a sermon to mark the end of the four day synod tagged Nyemoni synod 2016, Christians were urged to rise up to the challenges of living a ready life for eternity as life on earth does not hold forever.
The guest preacher at the synod, the Most Rev’d Edmund Akanya, Archbishop of the Ecclesiastical Province of Kaduna and Bishop Diocese of Kebbi admonished Christians to avoid pretence, positing that there is no hope for anyone who died without Christ and challenged all to offer themselves entirely to Jesus to earn eternity.
Archbishop Akanya while speaking on the topic “Let us rise up and build for eternity” with texts taken from Nehemiah 2:17 and St. John’s Gospel Chapter 14:1-6, deduced that Christ disciples were in total confusion when ‘Jesus’ revealed his planned departure to them because ‘Jesus’ was their provider and healer (Mark 6: 30) hence it was difficult for them to part with such a good gesture and friend.
Emphasing further on the need to prepare for eternity the preacher noted nobody would be on earth forever and challenged the mammoth congregation to question themselves on why God still keeps them alive, adding that Nehemiah had demonstrated his love for the rebuilding of the city, pointing out that in Jesus Christ, one would overcome the world’s trouble.
According to the Archbishop of Kaduna Province, the way one is buried does not matter if his or her ways are not right with God since no burial ceremony would lead anyone to heaven. “Don’t pretend to have known God while you are not. Thomas did not know, he never pretended so he was made to know”. Archbishop Akanya admonished.
The man of God charged all irrespective of status to strive to know the Lord Jesus, saying that it is possible to be in church attendance, holding positions such as teacher, bishop, evangelist, Knight amongst others, without understanding total surrender to Christ, noting that every position in the churches are human creations.
The Synod featured crusade, bible studies, social night and Holy Communion service.
