The Archbishop of Enugu Ecclesiastical Province, Anglican Communion, the Most Reverend Emmanuel Chukwuma, says the Church is called at this point to rekindle the hope of many who have lost confidence in Nigeria’s ability to rise from her challenges.
The Most Reverend Chukwuma stated this on Sunday during the thanksgiving service to mark the end of the 2nd Session of the 18th Synod of the Diocese of Enugu, held at All Saints’ Church, G.R.A, with the theme:’ Feed My Lamb And Tend My Sheep, the Church in a Hungry World.”
In the words of the Archbishop, “we’re telling ourselves that we should definitely do our work as church, caring church, simple. All of us are shepherds, and we should not allow the sheep to be hungry and this comes to the point of even sharing.
“This country has come to a point where people have to be concerned about their fellow brothers, there should be no self centredness and the assignment God has given to us is that, we must feed the sheep and tend the lamp.
“So, we must be very up and doing in our responsibility as a church to feed the sheep and not feed on the sheep.
“Churches are not established to be exploitative, churches are established to shepherd the flock, guide the flock and also be able to make sure that they’re having a hope for heaven.”
Archbishop Chukwuma urged the people to intensify their prayers for God’s provision as he appealed to the government to ensure security.
“I want to pray that this time of hard times, we should intensify our prayers as a church for God’s provision so that we can be able to feed the sheep because it’s very hard now for us to have enough food.
“The government of Nigeria should make opportunity for people to have food, particularly farming. All these herdsmen that are making people not to go to their farms, they should look at it and sort it out so that we can have enough food to feed the people who are hungry.”he said.
A Serial Entrepreneur, Nigeria’s foremost Civil Engineer and Social Activist, Sir Chris Okoye, who is a delegate to the conference, in an interview, noted that the theme of the Synod showed clearly that it was not about being concerned about oneself that mattered, but the well-being of society.
Sir Okoye said he agreed with the school of thought that the country was living on a life support, saying that there was the need for some revitalization and resuscitation of values.
Engr Okoye attributed the alarming crime wave, political crisis and the socio-economic quagmire prevalent in Nigeria to the disregard for the value system.
“There’s no question in my mind that the political leaders in this cou nontry have failed the youths and that is why the youths have also decided to pickup the mantle of guidance as it were to see if they could re-direct the leaders, because the leaders have failed and I am hoping that what the youths are doing is not just a momentary intervention, it should be a sustainable intervention, because the way they make their bed, is the way they are going to lie on it.
“And so, they should use this period, which is a defining period in the history of Nigeria, to begin to see how they can sustainably get involved.
“And therefore, getting a PVC, being able to vote, protect their votes; being able to make sure that they do not collect money to go and vote for people; and that the time has come for us to really vote for the right people, because that is what Nigeria is looking for at this moment.”he said
The Synod, while reviewing the state of the nation, urged all eligible Nigerians to take advantage of the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) to obtain their Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVC) and participate actively in the forthcoming general election.
It also urged the federal government to address issues concerning education, corruption, security, economy and other matters of public interest.
The Synod was attended by more than four hundred delegates from over eight Archdeaconries and some distinguished Nigerians alongside Archbishops and Bishops from various dioceses of the Anglican Communion in the southeast.
