From Femi Oyelola in Kaduna
The Kaduna State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has called Governor Uba Sani a listening leader who has been fulfilling promises since taking office.
Chairman Rev. Caleb Ma’aji made this statement on Wednesday, when the Governor hosted Christian leaders to break their Ramadan fast at Government House last night.
In a brief remark, Rev. Ma’aji recalled that last year, during a similar event, CAN had asked Governor Uba Sani to restore government sponsorship of Christian pilgrimages to Jerusalem, which had been suspended in 2015.
According to the CAN Chairman, the Governor promised to investigate why the government stopped official sponsorship of the pilgrimage before acting on their request.
This year, 49 people have gone to Jerusalem and returned. The last person in the contingent couldn’t travel because of a name mix-up, but he will soon depart for Jerusalem, he disclosed.
Rev. Ma’aji also mentioned that CAN had requested the construction of the PAN Drive-Television Garage-Sabon Tasha Road, Samrada-Romi-Karatudu Gonin Gora, and Nasarawa-UNTL-Zenith Bank Kakuri roads.
‘’As I speak now, the roads are being constructed to the highest standards, with asphalt and proper drainage Rev. Ma’aji added.
The CAN Chairman expressed that Christians will continue to pray for God to give Governor Uba Sani wisdom, divine grace, and skill, and to guide him as he leads Kaduna State to greater heights.
He assured that the governor will leave Kaduna better than he found it, citing significant achievements in his two and a half years in office.
At the event, Bishop Joseph Yari, the former Chairman of Kaduna State Christians Pilgrims Welfare Board, also praised the governor for restoring pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
Bishop Yari, who participated as a pilgrim, said that Kaduna State’s contingent prayed for continued peace in Nigeria and the state during their visit to the Holy Land.
In response, Governor Uba Sani noted that restoring state sponsorship for Christian pilgrimage aligns with his government’s principles of justice, equity, and fairness.
He pledged to return Kaduna State to its former glory, where people of different ethnicities and religions lived peacefully and pursued their livelihoods harmoniously.
The governor lamented that the state was losing its status as ‘home for all Nigerians’ due to years of ethno-religious crises, vowing to reverse this trend.
Governor Uba Sani said he usually hosts Iftars with religious leaders and other stakeholders during Ramadan to gather feedback on government policies and programs.
According to him, this year’s Iftar is especially important because both Muslim and Christian faithful are observing fasting and Lent, respectively.
He appealed to religious leaders to support his government and President Bola Tinubu to deliver the benefits of democracy to the people for sustainable development.
