By Emmanuel Awari-Jalingo
An appeal has been made on the need for the Nigerian Governments at all levels to choose peacefull dialogue as means to settle protesters over the unchecked police force and military aggressions.
The Bishop of Nigeria Episcopal Area, United Methodist Church in Nigeria, Bishop Johnwesly Yohanna made the call at the opening of 2020 Annual Conference Sessions in UMCN MacBride Jalingo.
“As a church, we stand for good governance and with whoever demand justice for the families of victims of police brutality, restraint and accountability of SARS officers prior to their redeployed to police units across the country”.
” We demand an end to police brutality that target our young people”.
He applaud the Federal Government and the North – East Governors in fighting Boko Haram insurgency, particularly the Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum for his activeness which has help in reducing the terrorist activities of the group.
“We call on other Governors to emulate the leadership style of the Governor for such would keep the Zone out of insurgency”.
He call on President Mohammadu Buhari to immediately respond to the plea of the protesters across the country by adhering to the rule of law, to cease all unchecked police force and military aggression and go into dialogue with protesters.
On COVID 19 pandemic, he said that the Conference have distributed palliatives which include, Food items, buckets with tap running water for hand washing and hand sanitizers.
“We were the first NGOs to intervene in reducing the spread of COVID 19 pandemic in Gombe and Taraba States”.
He disclose that the conference was able to purchase a drilling machine at the cost of over Twenty Six Million Naira, adding that the machine is already at work in different locations of the Southern Nigerian Conference towards providing clean water to many Communities in Nigeria.
He further disclose that the Conference have reach out to women through its empowerment schemes by providing Three hundred of them with Loans of over Four million Naira, adding that majority of the women are doing well.
The Bishop disclose that its project on Health ( No Malaria Nigeria) is currently being implemented in Ten UMCN rural health facilities in various clinics in the North – East and Northern Nigeria Annual Conference.
He pointed out that between July 2019 and June 2020, the program reached over Thirty Six Thousand people with free malaria treatment service which include Over Three thousand women receiving medicines while Over Two Thousand children and pregnant women received mosquito nets.
“Our maternal and Child health Program has continued to offer both antenatal and postenatal care to women in worom, gwandum, Bambuka and Nahuta. We have hired a registered Nurse, Midwife, Doctor and Community Volunteer added to our Medical team”.
In his remarks, the Conference Lay leader, Barr. Peter Ngai, represented by Sule Abasu disclose that the COVID 19 pandemic has changed everyday lives leading people to learn new ways of doing things.
“As laity, we are aware of the damages caused and continue couse by this deadly virus”.
“The pandemic has killed many people and many are at the risk of failing into extreme poverty, nearly half of the world’s 3.3million Global workforce are at risk of loosing their livelihood”.
He disclose that the church has opened Twenty Eight new churches in different parts of the country.
He appreciated Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku for the donation of Science Laboratory Equipment to Ronwilmont Comprehensive Secondary School, Damjigiri.
He disclose that the Grace Radio Project has started and work is ongoing at the location.
He urged Governments at all levels to use dialogue as means of resolving disputes than police and military aggression and call on protesters to avoid destructions of public and private properties.
He call on the laity to pray on the deadly COVID 19 pandemic, Economic Globally, Boko Haram insurgency, Armed banditry and climate change facing the entire world.
The theme for the 2020 conference is: “Know that I am God, plsams 46 : 1 – 11”.
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Nasarawa Reporters 