Communiqué issued at the end of the second session of the fifth Synod held from Friday 14^th Sunday 16^th June 2024 at St. Paul’s Anglican Church Agbamu, Kwara state.

OPENING: The second session of the 5^th Synod of the Diocese of Igbomina West was held under the leadership of the Diocesan Bishop and the President of the Synod the Right Rev. Dr. Olajide Adebayo (M.A, LLB, PhD, Dip Th.) and his wife Mrs. Foluke Adebayo.

 In his sermon at the opening service the Rt. Revd. Philip Adeyemo retired Bishop of Omu-Aran Diocese thanked God for the preservation of our lives and appreciated the president of the Synod for the opportunity accorded him to preach at the service. On -the theme of the Synod- What Do you have (Discovering Ability in Disability) 2 Kings 4:21, he says this is more relevant in contemporary Nigeria where three square meals per day is a new luxury to the common man. He however adds that God is ready to meet our needs at any point in time and save us from any physical spiritual and emotional embarrassment

He admonishes us to believe like the widow in the passage who truly believes and has her miracle. The little oil in her house becomes a pool of oil that turns out to settle her debt and transform her life and family for the better.

He concluded by urging us all to put our trust in the Lord and surrender all to Him for a lasting miracle.

 He prayed that our miracle shall never elude us in Jesus’ name.

SYNOD THEME: What Do you have? (Discovering Ability in Disability) – In his charge at the opening session the President of the Synod Bishop Olajide Adebayo, says the almighty God wants this world to comprise of needs and wants and men are wired to meet such needs or satisfy such wants. He adds that in the creation story, God created Heaven and Earth but instantly there was a dire need for order and tranquility because there was chaos and darkness. Our God shows a lifetime of problem solving he declared “Let there be light” and there was light (Gen. 1:1) from that moment our God for six days continues to solve all identified problems of the world and to meet the needs of mankind who He created.

God did all these and is still doing it because he has the capacity and ability to do so. However, on occasions when needs, problems, or challenges arise. Men lack the ability capacity or competence to meet such needs or to solve such problems, in such helplessness or hopelessness God seems to be saying there is something left in man no matter how small, that He is willing to magnify, elevate or invigorate to bring solutions.

 According to the president, many people are chasing few resources in our world today, therefore competition and contention with wars and rumours of war, scarcity of resources, hunger, famine diseases and pestilence, insecurity, banditry and terrorism, religious and ethnic conflagration leading to bloodshed, death and displacements. There is Political, social, and economic manipulation and instability leading to abject poverty and penury. Environmental uncertainties occasioned by climate change lead to global warming and irregular climate conditions resulting in drought famine, flooding, and hunger.

Education has lost quality substance and standard; some university graduates cannot reason beyond the level of primary school level. The singular and combined effects of the aforementioned and more have led to the loss of ability or capacity by many people in many countries of the world especially our own dearly beloved nation Nigeria to the extent that many people resort to suicide and suicidal activities.

We should all realize that God has a plan for our lives. He is bigger than our problems, greater than our fears, cares, and concerns.

God does not need our abilities, but he does demand our availability. No one is created to have nothing, yet not everyone will discover that, they have something unless and until they encounter the right people. Those who face the right direction will get the right attention. The widow in our story faces the right direction and get the right attention that turn her disability to divine ability.

 To discover ability in our seeming disability we must admit our limitations, approach the right quarters, accept advice, advance in our life, activate our potential and ascend beyond limitations.

NIGERIA

Nigeria with about 250 ethnic groups has 36 states with 774 local governments is the most populous country in Africa with a population of about 190 million people. Many Nigerians are shining all over the world in the areas of science, technology, entertainment, and sports.

However, the country has a reputation for poverty, insecurity, economic crisis, terrorism, banditry, insurgency, and others combined to paint a gloomy picture of the Nation. The poverty rate reached almost 40% in 2023 with an, estimated 87 million Nigerians living below the poverty line thus making it the world’s second-largest poor population after India.

 With various reforms being introduced by the Tinubu administration experts are saying the reform will lead to economic stability and as such should be sustained, yet things are getting worse daily.             The Synod however appeals to the Federal government to embark on a massive re-orientation campaign against moral degeneration in Nigeria. Cost of governance must be reduced, encouragement of made-in Nigerian goods, the revival of the refinery’s maintenance.

KWARA STATE

 The Synod commends the effort of the Governor of Kwara state His Excellency AbdulRazak AbdulRahman towards the maintenance of peace and order in the state and pleads with him to make good his promise to construct the Oke-Osin to Salawa junction road in Iludun-oro, the road linking Ajase-ipo to Igbonla which commenced some years ago is crying for completion. The water work of Iludun-Oro remains a wish despite several promises by consecutive governments.

 The Synod also plead with the state government to support our rural missionary school initiative which takes education to the village and farmland where the government may not reach in many years to come. The state government is called upon to support the mission with subventions as against the current trend of taxes and levies being imposed on the schools.

The governor should guarantee equal opportunity for all in the area of employment and other benefits regardless of religious, tribal, or political learning.

of our roads and construction of new ones revolutionizing agriculture, deregulating power and providing qualitative education for all.

The Synod urges the nation to come never to God and declares a national call of repentance, restitution, reconciliation adoration, and thanksgiving to God – A nation that forgets God shall perish.

IGBOMINA WEST DIOCESE

This Diocese is a rural Diocese far from the City without any industry or government establishment apart from a few secondary schools and the college of Education, Oro. Subsistence farming activities and very little cash crop farming are practiced; no manufacturing industry commercial activities are very limited. The pews in our churches are populated by the aged and retired pensioners with their grandchildren who stay for a while and relocate to the city. However, with all these challenges, we have our strength in the great number of great people who are our members residing in the cities.

 According to the Synod when ability is discovered despite obvious and ominous disability, destiny is recovered and capacity is regained. To achieve this, we must be quick to detect or respond to slight changes, signals or influences. We must be sensitive to stimuli and situation around us. We need to surrender something to discover our ability. No matter how little we earn we must cultivate a saving culture. We must serve God and humanity. We must secure our resources and relate positively to the community we find ourselves.

AGRICULTURE

The Synod urges all to embrace cooperative farming that enables individuals to own large farms. Co-operative farmers can then consult the government for tractors to enhance mechanized farming which is the antidote to the current state of hunger and poverty.

The Local Government Chairman and their Councilors should melt with the traditional rulers in their domain and warn them against giving lands to herders who will later turn against them to destroy their lands and massacre their people. Adequate security should also be provided for farmers in their various farms. This can be done by the police and the Local Vigilantes. All killer herdsmen caught should be seriously dealt with by the government.

STATE OF OUR REFINERIES.

 The Federal Government promised all Nigerians that the Port Harcourt refinery would be ready by December 2023 and till now it is still not ready. Those sabotaging the effort of the government should be arrested and brought to book. The Warri and Kaduna refineries must be resuscitated without delay. If Dangote could have a functional refinery what is impeding the Federal government-owned refineries from being repaired and put to use?

 Moreover, modular refineries should be approved for interested Nigerian. They should be licensed and monitored to ensure compliance. This will curb the illegal building of refineries around the country and bring down the price fuel.

Related Blogs

NIKE 2024 STANDING COMMITTEE MEETING COMMUNIQUE

• September 23, 2024
• 0 Comments

Church of Nigeria Prepares for Its Second 2024...

• September 16, 2024
• 0 Comments

PRESS RELEASE: 13th Edition of CON Chancellors, Registrars...

• July 26, 2024
• 0 Comments

COMMUNIQUE: DIOCESE OF OHAJI/EGBEMA, 2024 SYNOD.

• July 26, 2024
• 0 Comments

COMMUNIQUE: DIOCESE OF IJESA NORTH EAST, 2024 SYNOD.

• July 25, 2024
• 0 Comments