Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has called on citizens of the state to cultivate the spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation to enhance development, growth, and progress in the State.
Governor Eno gave the charge at the Sunday Service marking the 24th Eket Field Annual Convention of The Apostolic Church.
He noted that no one is perfect, hence perfection should not be expected from men, adding that as the Heavenly father forgives the sins of men, so should men forgive one another.
“Not that we are perfect, but the love of God has helped us to have the goodwill of the people. We must therefore learn to easily forgive and reconcile with one another as true Christians for our overall good,” he said.
He implored the citizens to learn to leave the past in the past, stressing that “what I do is, I learn from the past; I forgive and move on, but I won’t give you the opportunity to repeat the mistake.”
According to the Governor, “for me, forgiveness is the cardinal thing in life, which has greatly helped us as a State. Let us cultivate this virtue of forgiveness and learn to let things go for our common good and progress.”
He reminded the people that any community that practices “an eye for an eye,” will soon have everyone go blind.
“If God, by His grace, raised you up, you don’t go about victimizing people. Instead, you should learn to thank God and bring everybody together, reconciling the people.
“For me, I have learned to reconcile with everyone irrespective of your personality or differences in our lives,” he said.
Governor Eno counselled the people that forgiveness from God depends on the level of their forgiveness of one another, quoting Matthew 6:12 which says “Lord, forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
He commended the great sense of unity, peace and maturity in the seamless handover of leadership positions in The Apostolic Church, noting that their action is an impressive message to other churches to emulate.
Governor Eno appreciated the Church for their fervent prayers and support towards the continued success of his administration, and, earlier, during his electioneering campaigns in the year 2023.
Preaching on the theme: “The Gospel of the Kingdom,” drawn from Matthew 24:14 and 1st Corinthians 15:1-8, the National Vice President of the Church, Pastor Edikan Johnson, instructed the congregants to see the gospel as still the good news of God for man’s redemption.
He admonished the people to totally submit themselves to God’s transformation and renewal of their lives for blessings and the grace of God’s eternal life.
Pastor Johnson urged Christians to shun evil and embrace the righteousness of Christ, which, according to him, would be particularly seen in their attitude and relationship with fellow humans.
On the Governor’s entourage were the Executive Assistant/Chief Delivery Advisor, Mr. Aniefiok Johnson; members of the State Executive Council; political stalwarts; captains of industry; and Government functionaries.
