Abia State Governor Dr. Alex Otti, OFR has thanked Abians for heeding to his plea not to join the hardship protests going on in some parts of the country which has resulted to the loss of lives and destruction of properties.
Governor Otti expressed his gratitude to Abians on Saturday, 3rd August while observing the Sabbath worship at the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, No 1 School Road, in Aba South Conference of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church.
Recall that Governor Otti had on two occasions within the week appealed to Abians not to join the protest.
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First was when he received Mr. Peter Obi, the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 Presidential Election where they spoke to the Press after a private breakfast meeting.
The second was through a State broadcast he made a day before the protest. On both occasions, he acknowledged the people’s right to peaceful protest to air their grievances and at the same time expressed worry that the protest may be hijacked by hoodlums and enemies of the progress the State is making under his administration, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ctz. Ukoha Njoku Ukoha said in a statement.
Addressing the congregation who were so excited of having him worship with them, Governor Otti said, “I want to use this opportunity to thank you and Abia people who listened to my plea not to come out, pour into the roads and disrupt services and activities and probably visit mayhem on the people”.
“The reason is not because things are not difficult, far from it. I recognize how difficult things are today, but at the same time, there is a saying that two wrongs cannot make a right. I also do know that a lot of our people live by the day, some are traders, some are Keke riders, some are barbers, and some are taxi drivers. These people put food on the table on the bases of what they earn that particular day”.
Governor Otti noted that disrupting the activities of those whose delay bread depends on going out daily in the name of protest will end up worsening the problem the protesters are trying to solve.
“My Plea was that we can always seat down to discuss. And, I want to thank Abia people for heeding that call. It does not mean that we don’t have rights to protest but there are different ways of protesting. And, I think that the authorities had even listened to you and heard what you did not say. You know, it is easy to hear what you are saying but I can assure you that our Government has heard what you did not say”, Governor Otti Stated.
The Governor also announced to the delight of the already excited congregants that School Road will soon be fixed.
“As I was coming, I saw that this road (School Road) is in a very bad condition. Very soon, the road will be fixed”, Governor Otti declared.
He encourage the church members to always count their blessings and focus more on the positive things God has done for them.
Governor Otti thanked the Church for their support since 2015 that he stepped out to contest election and for the support they are giving his administration. He urged them to continue to remember him and the Government in their prayers daily.
In a Sermon titled “Living out the Christian Slogan”, the Resident Pastor, Pastor Ifeanyichukwu Nwaoguikpe said that God brought everyone to this earth for a particular purpose or mission. He emphasized that Christians are called to preach the gospel of everlasting life and the second coming of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Bible book of Mat. 28, warning the World against the impending doom and encouraging people to extend helping hands to those in need, saying that those in need are our neigbours while using the story of the Good Samaritan as recorded in the Bible to illustrate the sermon.
The officiating ministers of the Church prayed for the Governor, his entourage and the State.
Governor Otti was joined in the worship service by the Lawmaker representing Aba Central State Constituency in the Abia State House of Assembly, Hon. Ucheonye Stephen, Special Assistant to the Governor on Religious Affairs – Apostle K.C Wiper, the Mayor of Aba South – Hon. Uche Nwogu, the Abia State Acting Chairman of the Labour Party, Sir Emmanuel Nwaeze Otti and others.
