(BY NGOZI ADIGHIBE)

“In the Church, nothing is done carelessly; and everything that is done has a purpose.”

These were the words of the Most Rev. Dr Nicholas D. Okoh, the Primate of all Nigeria Anglican Communion and Bishop of the Diocese of Abuja at the dedication of Compass Rose Table Water Factory, which was built and is owned by the women ministry of the Diocese of Abuja.

 

The Primate explained that dedication is to make holy and that the decision to dance and sing around the vicinity is to dedicate the place to the Almighty God and drive away every evil that is resident in the environment. He appreciated all who contributed to the completion of the project that commenced since 2012, especially the committee and women executives and his wife, Mrs. Nkasiobi Okoh, who described the project as a form of evangelism, whereby people in the community are given access to clean water that is a necessity for life.

Primate Okoh prayed that the Factory, which is situated in the Kuje axis of Abuja, will continue to flourish and give birth to other projects that will benefit humanity and the Church of God. He said wherever Christians work to do exploits, the devil is never far away; adding that there is no organization too powerful that satan cannot attack it. He explained that if one is careless, the devil will introduce in-fighting and cause things to scatter. Hence, he cautioned all who work or will work in the Factory to resist the devil, so as not to be an instrument of destruction to the place.

He urged managers to be accountable and give detailed reports of the happenings, not just to their heads but also to the Primate, who he said must be informed at all times. He charged all workers to work to the glory of God and to the edification of the Church; declaring that all who drink the water in faith will receive their healing and breakthrough.

Meanwhile, in an interview after the service, the Primate urged the government to take the lead in addressing the issue of unemployment in the country, explaining that the Church can only do so much. He said the Church is assisting as much as it can in creating jobs for the people; however the government that controls the resources of the people should use these resources to provide for them. The head of the Anglican Church in Nigeria added that whilst it is important to fight insecurity, it is also important to provide legitimate jobs to engage the people. Thus, he suggested the restoration of the Railway system as a means of reducing the unemployment situation in the country; further advising the government to suspend some other things to achieve this.

In the spate of xenophobic attacks of Nigerians in South Africa, the Primate urged the government to handle the situation diplomatically and not irrationally; stating that in the cause of public outcry things can go wrong. The former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Odein Ajumogobia SAN, who is also the Chancellor of the Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion added that the government of Nigeria and South Africa must do all to protect the longstanding relationship shared by both countries. He called on both governments to manage, calm and control the situation to avoid it escalating more than it already has.