Christian leaders urge women to play active role in mitigating recession
NAN-HG-10
Recession
By Sumaila Ogbaje
Abuja, Oct. 21, 2016 (NAN) Mrs Nkasiobi Okoh, Wife of the Primate, Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, has called on women in the country to play active role in mitigating the effect of recession in the country.
Okoh, who is also the President, Mother’s Union/Women’s Guild, Church of Nigeria, made the appeal while speaking with newsmen at the 2016 Diocesan Women Conference on Friday in Abuja.
She said the current economic situation was an opportunity for every woman especially in the church to bring out their best, urging them to make effort to provide for their families.
According to her, women should make effort to provide food for their selves by growing it, planting it and process it to be able to put food on their families’ tables.
The wife of the Primate also advised women to make sure too that we prepare the right type of food for our families, explaining that most families don’t eat the right type of food.
“I believe that we mothers can cut down on certain things because we have to refocus on the other areas.
“We have been talking about agriculture but I don’t know how many of us know where we get yam from; I don’t know how many people know how we get the different types of vegetable we eat.
“We have to make an effort to provide food for ourselves to grow the food, plant the food, process it and put it on the table,’’ she said.
According to her, this is not the first time the country is going into recession and neither is it the first time other parts of world is going into recession.
“So the best thing we can do as mothers is to go back to the one who created us, the God almighty and tell Him what we are going through and He will help us.
“God will show us the way out of the recession because we know that the word of God says, when there is a casting down, there is a lifting up.
“He created this world, he knows what is going on and he show us the way out,’’ she added.
Okoh also called on Christian women to teach and train their children in the way of God so that their actions could be guided by those values at all times.
Prof. Andrew Igenoza, Rector and Bishop, Crowther Graduate Theological Seminary, Abeokuta, said the theme of the conference, “Fan into flame the gift of God in you’’, was a reawakening call on the women.
Igenoza said that every Christian had a God given gift in him or her that should be used constructively for the benefit of the church and the society at large.
He added that every human being, whether Christian or Muslim, had been made in the image of God with special talents to be used in the interest of humanity for constructive purposes.
“If we all use our gifts, the country will certainly be better off.
“It is not good for one to just wake up in the morning and be roving around doing nothing expecting manna to fall from heaven or just scheming how to get money without working.
“It is hard work that can make the economy better, no other way,’’ he said.
Igenoza, while condemning the alleged forceful marriage of a 14 year old girl in Katsina, urged Christian parents to ensure that their wards were given proper and adequate education.
According to him, forceful marriage is not a good thing; marriage has to be through consent on the part of the parties concerned and the age of consent starts from 18 not less.
“Again, it bothers on education; teaching your children and the parents living by example’’.
Ven Festus Nwafifli, Vicar, Bacilica of Grace, Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Gudu, said the conference would give the participants the opportunity to rediscover their God given gifts and put them to work.
According to him, this conference will help them to have a rethink, reassess themselves and go back better Christians and people who would be more useful to the church.
“It is my prayer that every participant in this conference will encounter God and go home as a different person,’’ he said. (NAN)
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Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola