15:T720,

Governor of Kaduna State, Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, has congratulated the newly elected executive committee of the Northern States Christian Elders Forum (NORCEF) under its new chairman, Rev Olaiya Philips.

In a statement signed by Ahmed Maiyaki, Director General, Media and Publicity, the governor congratulated NORCEF for the orderly conduct of the election which also saw the emergence of Dr. M. Amko and Barrister Emmanuel Dayis as the Vice Chairman and Secretary respectively.

He urged the newly elected chairman to work hard towards forging greater unity and understanding among the diverse people of the North, saying: “As Christian elders, millions of our people look upon you for direction. You should therefore see this responsibility as a divine call to promote peace, unity and love among the diverse people of the region.”

Yero also called on the forum to partner with government at all levels especially in the North. “We are all partners in progress and we shall always be ready to listen to wise counsels from our elders in order to move our state and the entire region forward,” he said.

The governor called on NORCEF to provide leadership in the process of reuniting the entire people of the North, saying: “In the past, the entire people of the North used to peacefully live as one irrespective of tribe or religion. Those were the golden days of the region. We need to re-enact that past so that we can correct the ills of the present and plan a better future for our children.”

While wishing the new executive a successful tenure, Governor Yero also congratulated the former Chairman of NORCEF, Evangelist Matthew Owojaiye and wished him well in his future endeavours.

•Photo shows Governor Yero.

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