Farmers in Adamawa State have been cautioned against hastily and bulk selling of their farm produce to avoid food insecurity.
Adamawa State Deputy Governor, Professor Kaletapwa Farauta made the plea at Ribadu Square when she lit the Christmas tree to declare open 2024 Interdenominational Christmas Carol.
She expressed gratitude for the season’s success, reminding them that the harvest is a blessing that must be managed carefully, especially during hardship and enjoined those living in flood-prone areas to take precautionary measures against perennial flooding occasioned by destruction and outbreak of diseases.
According to her, it is better to plan how to mitigate the effect of flood than to be affected by the looming dangers.
In his remark, the Adamawa State chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev Joel Manzo said the theme of this year’s carol Renewed Hope: Celebrating the Birth of Jesus Christ reminds us of the fact that our Savior’s birthday celebration should always renew our hope for a new beginning in a seemingly hopeless environment.
He added that the topic also transfuses in people the faith and believes that God has not abandoned us.
“As a covenant keeping God, His unconditional love and compassion for His dear children and for Nigeria are accessible and ready for us. Making us aware that Christ’ birth marks the beginning of our redemption story from time immemorial for the salvation of our souls now and hereafter.
“We must see reasons to Praise the Lord! We are here to celebrate New Life in Christ Jesus that transcend situations and impacts every aspect of our lives. There is hope for better days that will usher in celebrations in Jesus’ name.
“It is my earnest prayer and hope that this year’s version of the Christmas Carol will be a time of spiritual refreshment that will further equip the saints for advancing the Gospel Ministry and Uniting the Christian body in Adamawa for the establishment of One Binding Voice.
“This is possible when we join our hands and hearts together with fellow believers to make a lasting impact in changing the usual narratives of mere proclamation of unity without effect.
“Similarly, our coming together aims at fulfilling our quest for genuine fellowship to the glory of God and for the advancement of the Church Ministry through practical demonstration of selfless love among believers in Christ and a season for opening a New Page for: Renewing our passion for serving God and a zeal for proclaiming the gains of the new born king to the lost world,” he said.
Manzo called on clerics to look beyond our denominational differences, party and tribal affiliations that has succeeded in positioning the church inconspicuously.
“Our denominational differences are not enough reasons of division but rather points of strength, perfection, unity, and collective action. I encourage each one of us to embrace our faith in Christ with renewed vigor. Let us work hand-in-hand to ensure that our churches are equipped to withstand the challenges of selfish ambitions.
“Let us remember that our strength lies in unity, and our progress is amplified when we walk this journey together as a team. We must deliberately prioritize unity of purpose that will graciously grant us our heart desire spiritually, socially, economically and politically in the near future.
“On the other hand, let us deliberately endeavor to invest on our members who may desire to aspire for political offices by supporting them financially, providing necessary operational networking equipment that will help to create ways to build them up instead of crippling them by unnecessary demands,” he added.
On the state affairs, the Clergyman explained that “the state is where we are benefiting from the available resources that God our creator deposited for our use. Let us endeavor to protect the environment, safeguard jealously the land and its endowments as faithful stewards of God for our benefits.
“As responsible citizens, we must foster a sense of ownership to maintain and sustain the available fundamental necessities of life for our wellbeing and the next generation to come,” he said.
Manzo appreciated present government efforts for creating an enabling peaceful and conducive environment to hold this carol with less stress and without threat of insecurity.
“The low level of crime as experience in the state is as a result the government commitment to handling of security matters centrally. The church will always support a transformative leader with unwavering commitment to safeguarding and improving the lives of the citizenry through visionary policies and impactful projects: like poverty alleviation, gender sensitivity and inclusiveness, sponsorship of pilgrimage to the Holy Land among many other things. We joined the federal government in recognizing our governor as the best performing governor in infrastructure in Nigeria with well-deserved prestigious national awards (twice) giving the State a dignified name.
“For Civil Servants and Political Office holders, be reminded that there are guidelines and laws that provide the framework for what is expected of you, be diligent and faithful to duty for meritorious service. In the same vein, the government should ensure that processes of employment, promotions and appointments are fair, transparent and based on merit,” he said.
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