Chairman of the Niger chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Most Reverend Bulus Dauwa Yohanna has called for the re-introduction of Christian Religious Knowledge (CRK) at primary and senior secondary school levels to imbibe moral values in children and wards for peace and stability of the state.
He made the appeal at a thanksgiving service to celebrate Governor Muhammad Umaru Bago’s first anniversary in office at St. Peter’s Cathedral, Minna, organised by the office of the Coordinator, Christians Affairs, in collaboration with the state CAN.
Yohanna, who is also the Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese, stressed the need for the inclusion of CRK in the school curriculum, as well as the employment of qualified teachers.
The cleric hinted that CAN had raised a proposal to assist the state government in recruiting competent tutors. The CAN chairman, while recognising the governor’s developmental strides, sought more support for him to succeed.
In his keynote address, Governor Bago, represented by the Commissioner for Small and Medium Enterprises, Mrs. Elizabeth Shaba, applauded Christians across the state for their prayers and solidarity.
The governor said as the listening and receptive chief executive that he is, citizens should feel free to express their problems for solutions, assuring that “things will soon change for the better.” He re-assured the open-door policy of his government administration in Niger state
Earlier, in his welcome speech, Coordinator, Christian Affairs in the state, Pastor Lawrence Mohammed Isa, acknowledged that Niger has never had it so good, noting the governor had started well and prayed for him and his cabinet for continuity to ensure that best things come to the state and Nigeria as a whole.
In their separate goodwill messages, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Education, Jonathan Wasa, and Special Adviser to the Governor on PPP, Jonathan Tsado Vatsa, canvassed unity, and beseeched God to preserve and prosper the governor in his efforts to better the state.
Vatsa said: “I challenge Christians and the church to participate in politics, by coming out of their comfort zones, if they must be recognised in times of decision-making, hence they must stop complaining and giving negative impressions.”
During the various prayer sessions by pastors representing different denominations in the Minna metropolis, the faithful prophesied that Niger was in for the best of things to come, citing the prevailing infectious commitment, dedication, and purposeful leadership of the last year.
