Nobody should look down on anybody - The re-elected Bishop of Yola Diocese
Nobody should look down on anybody
- The re-elected Bishop of Yola Diocese
By
Saura H. Mada
In
compliance with the LCCN constitution where a Bishop is given five year tenure
after which an election will be conducted, the people of Yola Diocese held
their election to usher in another five year tenure for their Bishop. This
followed a similar election which took place in Bonotem and Gongola Dioceses.
At
the Yola Diocese election which took place on the 17th of October,
2015 the election started at about 10am and lasted for just less than an hour.
The sitting Bishop was re-elected with an overwhelming majority. Rt. Rev Amos
Jika Yakubu scored 130 votes out of the 145 votes casted during the election.
Out of the three elections conducted in 2015 the election in Yola Diocese
turned out to be most straight and simplest. There was no second time to allow
the getting of the 2/3 unlike the rigorous rounds experience last year in Abuja
Diocese and this year in Bonotem Diocese.
The
re-elected Bishop Rt. Rev Amos Yakubu in his acceptance speech thanked all who
participated in the election. He said, “God is everything but also human being
is something. To be able to get someone elected God will use the human beings.
Knowing fully that nobody can be anything if God did not give him through men
we must then accord respect for everyone.” He reiterated that “nobody should
look down on anyone because everyone is important.” He promised to continue
from where he has reached so far. He said the past five years was a period of training
for him. He said he considered the past five years given to him an opportunity
to display his responsibility and it was not because he was good but because of
the goodness of God upon his life.
The
Bishop also thanked his members for enduring with him in the first five years
of his tenure, he urged them not to weary for nobody can please all people, and
therefore they should consider the office of the Bishop as theirs so that they
can call on him in order to make meaningful inputs for the development of the
diocese. The Bishop called on those that did not vote for him not to stay
behind and criticize but rather should come on board with meaningful inputs and
those who voted for him to come forth with meaningful advice and also to pray
for him.
The
Bishop used the avenue to express his gratitude to the district pastors and
church leaders for their effort in remitting their estimates and other dues. He
said they have made him proud by ensuring that he remitted reasonably to the
national treasury of the church estimates and other dues.
In
this light the Lutheran Today sought to hear from some participants on the
outcome of the election, Rev Ezekiel Paul the pastor of LCCN Ngurore District
said the election was “good and indeed it is the will of God” Rev Ezekiel
advised that the Bishop should ensure that he ran an orderly administration by
ensuring that any matter brought before him is well investigated before taking
any action. Also an Elder from Trinity Lutheran Church Police Barracks said
that “people prayed and God has answered their prayers.” According to him the
election was the work of the Holy Spirit.
