Bishop Nwokolo Urges Men, Officers Of Nigerian Police Force To Imbibe Teachings Of Christ For Societal Good

0

Charles Onyekamuo

The Rt. Rev. Dr. Owen Chiedozie Nwokolo, Bishop on the Niger, Anglican Communion and Chairman, Christian Council of Nigeria, Anambra State chapter on Sunday urged men and officers of the Nigerian Police Force to imbibe the teachings of Jesus Christ on tolerance, perseverance,love and unity for the betterment of our society.

He said that if a greater population of police men in the country who know and trust in God can be grounded in these virtues, a lot of things would change for better in the country.

Bishop Nwokolo canvassed these views while laying the foundation stone and turning of sod of Zone13, Police Chaplaincy building in Ukpo, Dunukofia Council Area of Anambra State.

Reading from the Book of Mathew Chapter7:24-27, Nwokolo said our Lord, Jesus Christ had emphasized the need to lay the foundation of our faith, a reason they had gathered to lay the foundation of the Police chaplaincy building where officers and men of the zone can come and kneel and seek the face of God in supplication.

“Every one who hears his words and does same is like building his house on a solid foundation which requires wisdom and understanding”, he said.

Jesus he said was talking of both spiritual and physical building where the spiritual house is about our faith and the physical refers to any building where adherents of the faith come together to worship God.

” In a spiritual building, the foundation which carries the house is laid, while in the spiritual building, we have our faith gocused on Christ.
” The building we sre talking about is for Christ. He is the pure foundation and without him we labour in vain. If you are not in Christ and you are building for him, it doesn’t work. The lord is only interested in those who build for him with their faith placed in him through adherence to his words.

” They are like people who build on the rock. If you are grounded in Christ, you must focus on his teachings of love, perseverance, faith,unity, no matter the storms of life. That is because you have decided in your heart to follow the lord”, he said.
He said that there was need for every Christian to be groomed in the words of God, appreciate God and be born again in faith and in the discharge of their duties for the benefit of the society snd to the glory of God.

He added that so many police reverends and venerables had emerged on the communion and called on the people to encourage the actualisation of tqaahe chaplaincy project where they will gather to seek the face of God and ask for His direction.

This he sai is necessary because officers and men of the Nigerian Police force are like every other citizen with their own challenges.

” We have come to lay the foundation of this chaplaincy today and what do we need it for?. We are doing it because people who are in the police force listen to word of God,go to church, and also have their own challenges like spiritual attacks, spiritual and emotional break down and other vicissitudes of life and need spiritual growth.
” When they come snd kneel before God in this chapel, it will be a place of refuge and reflection for them” he said and prayed that Christ should dwell in the hearts of all police men and that the works they do in his name shall neither stumble nor fail.
The AIG in charge of zone13, Godwin Iguh Ezeh in his brief remarks expressed gratitude to God for the foundation laying ceremony of the chaplaincy building even as he also thanked all those who came for the ceremony.
He said it was the first time he was seeing civilians getting involved in police affairs, adding that the initiatives in the past to build police chaplaincy in areas he served as DPO to Commissioner in which he took active roles were done with police funds.
‘ Your presence here today ” he told the gathering, “showed that God had shown His glory in this foundation laying ceremony of our chaplaincy building and its completion which i believe would be in earnest “.
The xonal chaplain of the zone,CSP Emmanuel Madu, prsyed that the Lord would enhance and accomplish that which had started.
He said he was overwhelmed with gratitude that his boss ,the AIG said the church building would be completed within his own time.

” If we had seen people supporting us the way the way the AIG had done, we would have gone far.”, he said..

Anambra’s Deputy Governor,Dr. Onyekachukwu Ibezim who represented the state government on the occasion went memory lane, explaining why the state government had been successful in the administration of the state because it prioritised prayers above everything.
” Prayers are important in what we do because without God, without seeking His approval in what you do, you make avoidable mistakes.God is our rock as nd we believe in what Hd can do”, he said.
He expressed gratitude to the zonal police formation for initiatiing the chaplaincy project and explained that what the state government is presently doing at the moment was about social engineering.
He lamented about the way life is being wasted on a daily basis including cannonslism by those who lacked empathy for fellow humans and the spirit of God in them, describing it as astonishing, a situation that has made it imperative that people should look up to God in supplication.
” We see a lot of viral Videos where children are kidnapped and their hands tied behind their back and killed. Thesythings make people begin to asj ,God where are you?
” But i tell you now that there is God He exists, but these people committing these evils have not allowed God to exist in their hearts.
” There is no empathy and it is a challenge and we need that social engineering. It is now that we need fervent prayers. It is a thing of the heart”, he said.
He said that it’s part of the reasons the state government had embarked on the sanitization of the activities of fake pastors in the state, deceiving some gullible members of the public, performing fske miracles.

He said that some of these fake pastors had been arraigned before a court of competent jurisdiction in the state now lookindg into their activities,
” They are fakes snd their fakery is disturbing”, he said ,adding that the Soludo administration would do everything as a government to support genuine causes like the building of the chaplaincy of the Anglican communion in zone13, of the Nigerian police force in Anambra state.

The Anambra State Governor, Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo, he said loves the work of God, and expressed regrets that people no longer believe through their actions in the existence of God.
” The concept of God is disappearing and a lot of wickedness all over the place these days. It requires socual regeneration, a kind of social engineering to get people on track. It is not a process only the government can embark on.
“And that is where the pastors and the churches have a lot of work to do.

” The church will lead this crusade. It’s now money money everywhere and it is not supposed to be so. Religion is now a thing of merchandize. We wont tolerate that here”, he intoned.