By Danjuma Auta
The Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi A. Sule, has disclosed that his administration will secure the lives and property of the Bingham University, Karu, by building a parameter fence around it.
He made this known while hosting the ECWA President and his executive in his office in Lafia, the state capital.
The governor explained that because Nasarawa State had benefited a lot from the ECWA in the areas of evangelism, education, employment and provision of basic social amenities, it would contribute to the growth of the church in the state.
He thanked the church for siting projects that had been touching the lives of citizens and appealed for more.
Governor Sule attributed the peaceful coexistence among the different tribal and religious groups in the state to the peaceful nature of the ECWA and called on its leaders to continue supporting government in the peace-building process.
He added that ECWA members in his administration had not let him down, as a result, the state would continue to recognize and reward them appropriately.
The governor said that state government received the election of the ECWA President, Rev. (Dr) Stephen Baba Panya, as the Vice President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), with great joy because he is one of the sons of the state who had always done them proud and urged him to continue honouring God through service to the Church and humanity in general.
The governor subsequently redeemed the pledge made to the church by announcing the donation of a Siena bus to Lafia DCC.
Earlier, Rev. (Dr) Stephen Baba Panya had informed the governor that the ECWA leadership came to thank him for always identifying with their programs in the state and described it as the display of love and unity.
On the discovery of crude oil in the state, he said: “Let me congratulate you on the good news that sufficient deposits of hydrocarbons have been discovered in Nasarawa State as to warrant the immediate plans by the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPCL) to begin oil drilling in the state soon.
“This discovery during your tenure as governor is a good omen of better things to come in the future and indeed, our prayer is that the expected increase of abundant resources as an oil-producing state, will be a blessing that will go a long way in accelerating the progress and prosperity of the state.”
He informed the governor that ECWA’s primary duty was evangelism and church planting which had reached over 18 countries in the world, including the USA, UK, Israel and Canada with a membership of about ten million worshippers and over 15,000 employees across the world.
He added, “We are also very grateful for the cooperation and support that Bingham University has received over the years from the Nasarawa State Government especially the construction of the Information Technology (IT) Centre and the main access road into the university.’’ He was accompanied on the visit by the ECWA Vice President, Rev. Sunday Ajise, ECWA General Secretary, Rev. (Dr). Yunusa Sabo Nmadu, DCC chairmen and secretaries of Lafia, Akwanga, Garki and Karu, among others.