…urge him to consider second term in office
SEGUN BABATUNDE, Bauchi
Members of the Christian community in Bauchi State, on Saturday, trooped to the Government House in their thousands to join Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed in celebrating the 2021 Christmas urging him to shelve his presidential aspiration in order to go for a second term as Governor come 2023.
Leader of the Christian community in Bauchi State under the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev Dr Abraham Damina Dimeus, who spoke on behalf of the community, told the governor, “Though we are ready to go with you anywhere you go, for now we still need you to remain here in Bauchi State to complete the good job you started.”
The CAN chairman added, “The Christian community is enjoying your administration. Since you came on board you have not shown any form of discrimination against the Christian community. You have carried us along in the affairs of governance. Please, stay and go the second term.”
The Christian community, however, reminded the governor to fulfill his promises of a new graveyard as the current one is filed up; completion of the CAN Secretariat and College of Nursing as well as a functional vehicle for mobility.
While responding to the Christian community, Governor Mohammed thanked God for yet another Christmas, saying that it is the grace and mercy of God that made it possible to be alive.
The governor said, “I am not ashamed to associate with you because I am from a mixed religious background. In my family, we are both Muslims and Christians. I have no choice than to treat everyone in the state as the same.”
He continued, “We have broken the barriers of segregation we met on the ground. We have appointed Christians into sensitive areas of governance and I am glad to say that I have not been disappointed by the move. We have been able to allay the fears of those who were initially sceptical about it.”
The Bauchi governor, however warned, “We as a government are going after those clerics who are preaching disunity among the people. We have arrested some of them and they will be punished as provided for in the relevant laws of the country.”
The governor then urged the Christian community to imbibe the peaceful nature of Jesus Christ by living harmoniously with adherents of other religions in the state, stressing that is by so doing that they should demonstrate that they are indeed Disciples of the Lord.
In his remarks, Speaker, Bauchi State House of Assembly, Abubakar Y Suleiman, commended the Christian community for exhibiting good followership in the state, stressing that it is only in unity that progress can be made.
He explained that the cordial relationship between the Executive and the legislative arms had necessitated the development of the state in the last two years of the administration in spite of the political differences between them.
The Speaker then urged the Christian community to remain supportive of the administration as well as law abiding, urging them to steer clear of vices that could smear the good name of the state.
The governor was later presented with a letter of appointment as a Grand Patron of the Boys Brigade of Nigeria.