Speak truth to leaders, Okowa urges Clergy

From Paul Osuyi, Asaba

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State on Sunday urged the clergy in the country to be bold and speak truth to political leaders so as to make the nation better.

The governor charged the Church to truly continue to pray for the nation to overcome the myriad of challenges confronting it and put it on a way to progress.

Okowa gave the charge at a special church service to celebrate the birthday of the General Overseer of Omega Fire Ministry, Apostle Johnson Suleman, in Auchi, Edo.

He described Suleman as “a man being used by God,” adding that testimonies of his benevolence to Nigeria Correctional Centre, Auchi, through supports and interventions, had shown his love for humanity which Jesus Christ represented.

“I met Suleman for the first time at a crusade in Agbor and from that day I noticed the fact that God has a hand in his life.

“I thank God for what He is using him (Suleiman) to do across the world; he is sent on a mission to humanity and to the world.

“I know that the church is not constituted by the building or the crowd but by the body of Christ, and from what I have seen here today, the Pastor is bringing the word of God to reality in many lives.

“I urge you, the Church, to continue to be prayerful in support of your Senior Pastor, for any man of God that is rising, there must be challenges on the way.

“The Church is you, it’s not the building. So I urge you as a Church to stand strong in prayer for him and his family so that the evil ones will not have their way against his leadership,” Okowa said.

He told the people that Suleman had striven so passionately to win souls for Christ, adding that he had a huge followership everywhere.

On his part, the Deputy Governor of Edo State, Comrade Philip Shaibu, urged the celebrant not to relent in the fight against poverty and unemployment in Edo and the country through his philanthropic interventions.

Earlier, the celebrant, Suleman, had thanked God for giving him another opportunity to witness another year and pledged to do more to evangelise for Christ.

He admonished all to eschew hatred as it did nobody and nation any good.