Taraba CAN Seeks Govt Partnership For Peace, Devt

The Taraba State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), has stressed the need for a stronger collaboration between the church and governments at all levels to promote peace, justice and sustainable development in the state.

The CAN said, the partnership was necessary to enable the two bodies tackle insecurity, promote good governance and accelerate development in the state.

This was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of a 3-day Ministers Conference and N10 billion fundraising, and issued to newsmen in Jalingo.

The conference, themed, “The Church and the State: Partners in God’s Plan in a Changing World,” brought together Christian leaders, government officials, traditional rulers and other stakeholders.

The communiqué urged government at all levels to deepen engagement with faith-based organisations, as critical partners in promoting peace, social development and nation-building.
The association also charged Christian leaders to promote moral values, integrity and responsible citizenship among their members.

It urged Christians to continue praying for leaders and supporting initiatives that advance unity, security and economic growth.

The conference called for greater religious tolerance, mutual respect and peaceful coexistence across Taraba State and Nigeria as a whole.

It further urged churches and Christian organisations to support empowerment programmes targeting youths, women and vulnerable groups.

According the communiqué, the participants commended Governor Agbu Kefas for his administration’s efforts in the areas of peace, education, youth development and infrastructure.

The conference also appealed to individuals, churches, organisations and development partners to support the N10 billion fundraising initiative.

Some of the prominent speakers at the conference included Governor Kefas, former Cross River State governor, Chief Donald Duke, former CAN president, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, Archbishop Benjamin Kwashi and other Christian leaders.

He said the participants would receive training in skills including shooting, tackling and teamwork before the tournament culminates in a final on September 3.

He said, “We believe that by starting with children under 13, tomorrow, Nigeria’s top striker or top football player may have started learning the skills from here.

“This is why we will not stop. It is better to catch them young, train them young and give them the values when they are young so that they can make our nation proud when they grow up.”

Musa, who declared the event open, said he initiated the tournament to revive the school sports culture he experienced while growing up.

He recalled that Milo was a major presence during school sporting activities at the time, adding that the partnership offered an opportunity to recreate such experiences for a new generation.

“When I was growing up, we always had school games and Milo was always there. But nowadays, we don’t see that as much.

“When I signed the contract with Milo, I told them we had to bring back those memories. I am happy they gave me the opportunity to do this,” Musa said.

The former Super Eagles captain said the initiative would go beyond the tournament, as promising players would be identified and given opportunities for further development.

He also announced cash prizes of N1 million, N500,000 and N300,000 for the first, second and third-placed teams respectively.