At a meeting of the Christian Association of Nigeria, (CAN), South-South zone in Warri, which was attended by selected leaders of CAN, the apex Christian association in the zone through its Chairman, Archbishop God-Dowell Avwomakpa, commended the Southern Governors for coming together again in Lagos after twelve years of their last meeting to discuss and forge stronger ties among people of the Southern Nigeria spread across three geo-political zones.

Archbishop God-Dowell Avwomakpa

CAN through its Chairman described the 2017 Lagos summit of the 17 Southern governors where fiscal federalism was adopted amongst others as speaking with one voice. Accordingly, CAN noted that the Southern Governors meeting is a signal that it will be well with the people of the South as well as a sign that there is hope for the future generation.

Furthermore, CAN  noted that the predominance of views expressed by the Southern Governors have not only earned the Governors credible listenership but also  a step that will make the church to back the States up with prayers in order to build a new pathway to national unity.

The association therefore urged the governors to meet more frequently and seek economic development for the regions through a unified body like the Lagos Summit of the 17 Southern Governors. That way, the Christian association noted through its chairman that “when the other regions from the Northern part of the country see the level of economic growth in the Southern part of Nigeria,  they will equally begin to develop the North and with time, true fiscal federalism will emerge in Nigeria in line with what the founding fathers like late Chief Obafemi Awolowo envisaged for Nigeria during independence.”

According to the Christian association, “now that men in leadership positions from the seventeen Southern states have come together to agree on re-structuring, the responsibility is on the children of God to redeem the land through effective prayer, hard work and individual sacrifice. Besides the CAN Chairman, South-South zone, Archbishop Avwomakpa noted “Once the Governors are united in their decision and the agreement is for the good of the land, God is certainly invited into the plan and for that reason, the plan can never fail, especially if the principal actors do not look back and the people they lead back them with prayer and hard work.

Southern Governors

The Christian association thanked the 17 governors and urged them to meet more frequently but warned that they must forget their differences and see each meeting beyond party spirit as well as work continuously for the unity and progress of Nigeria. The association affirmed its conviction that when leaders meet, solution will equally emerge. While commending the governors of Lagos and Bayelsa, Akinwumi Ambode and Seriake Dickson Chairman and co-chairman respectively for the successful meeting. The association noted that like it was in the era of Chief Awolowo, more focus should be on the regions so that each region will develop more industries and create more employment for the people from the natural resources they are endowed with

– Ovie Edomi, Special Adviser on Media to Archbishop God-Dowell Avwomakpa