Umahi to make law against idleness in Ebonyi

•Challenges CAN on fake pastors

Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State has advised  the  state chapter of the  Christian Association of Nigeria  to check  “fake pastors,” whose activities have  continued to constitute a threat to true Christian worship.

He gave the charge during an  inter-denominational thanksgiving  service to mark this year’s 56th independence day celebration and 20th anniversary of the creation of Ebonyi State,  at the  Assemblies of God Church, Abakalik,i on Sunday.

He said: “Let me appeal to the church: during the last election, there were some so-called churches that were destroying the name of the Lord. I know that they and their pastors still exist.  I therefore ask CAN to check them. It is not everybody that calls the name of the Lord that is actually of God. I will be ready to join you   to check their activities.”

He also called on the churches to preach hard work and reiterated that his administrator would soon ask the Legislature to enact a law against idleness.

“Soon, we are going to make a law to ensure that n body is idle in this state because an idle person is a devil’s workshop.  If there are idle people in the state, we will have a collection center where they can go and eat free and from there, we will  take them  to farms.”

The governor paid glowing tributes to the members of the  state Legislature,  Judiciary and the Executive Council for their individual and collective sacrifices towards the promotion of good governance and ideal  democracy in the state.

Umahi, who listed the categories of people to be recognised  during the next independence day celebration and Ebonyi at 2, thanked the church for supporting his administration through supplications.

He mentioned those to be recognised  on October 1, 2017 to include the family of the  late Head pf State, General  Sani Abacha,  and a senior citizen, Chief Authur Mbanefo.

The late Abacha created Ebonyi  21 years ago, while Mbanefo headed   the committee that recommended its creation.

“Next October, we will be looking at those that made the creation our dear state possible. These are people like  Sani Abacha that God used,    Mbanefo, who   was the chairman of the committee that recommended the creation of Ebonyi State and some founding fathers of the state.

“So, we will like to recognise them, including the  Abacha family. But we  are also going to appreciate the founding fathers.  We are going to set up a committee to honour them.

“We are going to  start this year or early next year, to renovate the palace of Akanu Ibiam, the man who also played a central role in the creation of this state before he died,” Umahi stated.