By Don Ubani
The Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion in Abia State has been challenged to produce the next Governor of Abia State after Governor Okezie Ikpeazu in 2023.
This challenge was thrown by a Knight of Diocese of Aba, Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion and a politician in Abia State; Sir Don Ubani, today at St Michael's Anglican Cathedral, Aba where he spoke on the topic, Essentialism of Decent Participation In Politics By Members of Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, as Aba Diocese observes her Knights' Week.
Sir Ubani, who went down Memory Lane, reminded the Knights that it was the Anglican Church, then known as Church Missionary Society, CMS, that brought both civilization and political independence to Nigeria. He asserted that Missionaries like Henry Townsend, Samuel Ajayi Crowther, Rev Thomas Babington and politicians such as Engr/Surveyor Herbert Macaulay, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe and Mrs Fumilayo Ransome-Kuti were all faithful of the Anglican Communion who initiated and spear-headed the path of civilization and political independence of the country.
The state publicity secretary of PDP,Abia state, went further to state that as at the time of the struggle for independence, the Anglican Communion was conspicuously at the vanguard of it all while many other Churches were no where to be found not even to be seen.
Sir Ubani recounted that Abia State had been governed by four democratically elected governors; Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu, Chief T A Orji and is currently being governed by Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, none of whom is Anglican.
He, therefore, urged Knights of the Anglican Communion to arouse consciousness in Members of the Communion to participate decently and effectively in the politics of their States and the country.
Sir Ubani asked members of the Anglican Communion to stop showing apathy towards partisan politics as Man, himself, is naturally a political animal.
He also enjoined them to take a cue from members of the Seventh Day Adventists who initially avoided participating in any social engagement that fell on their holy day of Saturday but today go out enmasse to cast vote for candidates who are members of their Church.
The Anglican Bishop of Ohaji; The Rt Rev Collins Opara, who had earlier spoken, had also admonished Members of the Anglican Communion to show interest in Nigeria's politics.
In conclusion, Sir Ubani, who pleaded with the Knights to appreciate and support Governor Okezie Ikpeazu for the good job he has been doing in Abia State, particularly in Aba, challenged Anglican faithful to focus on producing the first Governor of the State of Anglican extraction in 2023. He, therefore, urged those who do not have Permanent Voters' Cards to do so now.
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