Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta on Sunday said only truth, justice, equity and fairness to all zones of the country would guarantee a united Nigeria.
Okowa stated this at the thanksgiving service to mark the 2nd anniversary of the 7th Assembly of the Delta House of Assembly, held at the Living Faith Church, Asaba.
The governor said he believed in the unity of the country and added that leaders must act in the interest of the diversity in the nation.
According to Okowa, only such acts of justice and fairness to all the zones can encourage Nigerians to believe in the unity of the country.
He noted that Nigerians were facing challenging times, and urged Christians to be prayerful “because God can truly turn things around for this nation.”
“There is a lot for us to learn as a nation even from what we have seen now and what we are passing through. We must work together for the progress and unity of this nation.
“Do not lose hope and faith in God; let us play our individual roles apart from prayers.
“Many times we recite our national anthem without considering the words in it. We can truly serve our country with love and strength if we believe in the unity of the country.
“There is a lot of call for restructuring and national dialogue because of the things we are seeing, but we must continue to keep faith in our country; things will definitely change for the better.
“For those of us who find ourselves in government, we must truly re-examine ourselves to be sure that we are truly serving our nation.
“We must continue to see Nigeria as one country and all things done must be done in such a way that it reflects unity in us so that every zone will truly believe that we are in one Nigeria,” he said.
The governor commended members of the state house of assembly for their cooperation with the executive in the service of the state.
“I am very proud of the assembly because whatever we have achieved under these trying times is because they have remained very supportive.
“Many times you have placed the interest of the state above personal interests.
“I believe that as we start off the third year, a new beginning will come into you to offer greater services in the remaining two years.
“I urge you to redouble your efforts because we are in very difficult times. Please remember that we are in service of the people of Delta and to give more than we have done before.
“It is my prayer that God will give you the strength and wisdom to continue in your service to the people,” he added.
Earlier in a sermon titled: “Understanding the wonders of thanksgiving’’ Pastor David Popoola, urged Christians to always remember to appreciate God for His blessings upon their lives.
He stated that thanksgiving was a debt that every Christian owed God.
The Speaker of the state house of assembly, Sheriff Oborevwori, took the Bible reading from Psalm 92:1-10. (NAN)
