Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has challenged ministers of the gospel to deliberately prepare a generation of Christians who will carry the banner of Christ into public service at all levels of governance.
Governor Otti threw the challenge on Saturday at the Aguiyi Ironsi Conference Centre, Umuahia, during an Apostolic Banquet organised by Christian Citizenship International, Diaspora Alliance, in partnership with the Abia State Chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Religious Matters. The event had the theme “Reclaiming Apostolic Leadership for National Transformation.”
The Governor represented by his Chief of Staff, Pastor Caleb Ajagba, said that the presence of Christians in positions of authority offers greater opportunities for effective evangelism, noting that leaders naturally command the respect of the people.
“You must prepare a people who will continue to carry the banner of Christ to the next phase and to the next generation. It will not end with us.
It is my prayer that this light that has been ignited here will not be quenched.
The forces of darkness will not stop what God wants to do in Abia State. When Abia gets it right, it will move beyond Abia, and when Nigeria gets it right, it will move beyond Nigeria,” Gov Otti stated.
Governor Otti further assured Christian Citizenship International of his administration’s support, urging the organisers not to make the event a one-off, and announced that the banquet would henceforth be held quarterly.
“We want you to know that we are partnering with this initiative as a government. It should not end here. That is why the government is giving every support to this programme.
From our discussions, it is going to be a quarterly event,” he added.
In his remarks, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Religious Matters, Apostle Kenneth Wiper, said the banquet was designed as a high-level gathering of faith leaders, government officials and influential community figures committed to shaping Nigeria’s future through moral leadership and civic responsibility.
He explained that the event was more than a ceremonial gathering, describing it as a sacred platform where apostolic leaders, whose mandate reflects the transformative leadership of the early Apostles, engage with public officials to chart a course for national renewal. Apostle Wiper added that the initiative seeks to bridge the sacred and the civic, creating a synergy between spiritual wisdom and practical governance, while commending the exemplary Christian leadership being witnessed in Abia State under Governor Otti.
Earlier, the convener of the Christian Citizenship Network, Pastor Emmanuel Ehim, said the banquet was a celebration of what God has done in Abia State through the leadership of Governor Alex Otti. He thanked the Governor for his achievements over the past two years.
“We are in this state because we see visionary governance in Dr. Alex Otti, a man God has used to transform every landscape of this state.
In two years, his work has surpassed everything previously done here. God has used him to transform Abia in every sphere of life.
The church is happy with him, the diaspora is happy with him, Nigerians are happy with him. He has set a model of leadership for Nigerian and global leaders,” he said.
Also speaking, the President of Vision Africa Radio, Archbishop Dr. Sunday Ndukwo Onuoha, reminded Christians of the need for accountability, stressing that ministers of the gospel must be responsible stewards of the message they preach.
The event attracted several eminent ministers of the gospel, including the state Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Ojo Ojo Uduma, among others.
