The Nigerian Baptist Convention has urged the federal government to intensify action to put in place economic policies with a human face in order to fix the harsh situation on ground.
The urge was made at a press conference heralding the 112th Annual Session of the Nigerian Baptist convention and the 175th Dodransbicentennial anniversary of the Baptist Mission work in Nigeria.
The event which will commence on Saturday April 26, at the Baptist International Convention Centre along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway is hosted by the Providence, Ethiope and Anioma Delta Baptist Conferences.
Speaking at the press conference, the President of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, Rev Israel Akanji who spoke on the theme of the Annual Session, “Entering into Newness through Fasting and Prayer” and our text is Ezra 8:23, said, the vision as received from the Lord is that of newness for the entire Nigerian Baptist Convention, which will affect the lives and the nation positively.
Akanji explained that the Baptist as a movement with this theme is entering into newness through fasting and prayer as a vehicle to be able to experience newness in their lives, nation and world at large.
According to him, “Baptist Mission work in Nigeria is 175 years old this year, having begun in 1850 through the Missionary, Rev Thomas Jefferson Bowen who hailed from the State of Georgia, United States of America.
“The Nigerian Baptist Convention came together as a national body on March 11, 1914, in a meeting at the First Baptist Church, Idikan Street, Ibadan.
“This was after the Baptist work had been ongoing in the country for 64 years. During the initial 64 years, the Churches were planted in various parts of the Western part of Nigeria, therefore, at their coming together, they adopted the name, Yoruba Baptist Association.
“The Baptist education has been of great benefit to our great country. For instance, the BBHS, Abeokuta, was the school attended by Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Prince Bola Ajibola, Chief MKO Abiola, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and Otunba Gbenga Daniel, just to mention a few.
“If one multiplies that around the country, one would definitely appreciate the contribution of the Nigerian Baptist Convention to the educational, economic, social, political and the total human resource development of our country.
We have the Bowen University in Iwo, one of those highly respected private universities in Nigeria, lending support to Government’s effort on education.
“The medical contributions of the Nigerian Baptist Convention hence the Bowen University Teaching Hospital (BUTH) is a tertiary medical institution, serving the nation, both in providing medical services and training nurses and doctors who are currently all over the country and abroad.
“The Baptist Hospital, Shaki, and the Baptist Hospital, Eku, have served our country quite immensely.
“Our medical services are still all over the country with hospitals and clinics in even remote places”, he concluded
