By Uwem Kerns
Akwa Ibom State Governor Mr Udom Emmanuel has acknowledged the outpouring of compassion and solidarity by President Mohammadu Buhari, leadership of the National Assembly, International Community, Religious and Philantropic Organisations as well as well meaning persons following the collapse of a Church building at Reigners Bible Church International where worshippers sustained various degrees of injury while others could not make it alive.
Governor Emmanuel made the acknowledgment at a Solemn Assembly tagged "The God Of All Comfort"' organized to round up the two days of mourning for victims of the Reigners Church building mishap held at the Banquet Hall, Government House, Uyo.
The Governor, who described the incident as unfortunate pointed out " efforts at containing the mishap has yielded positive results as greater percentage of the casualties have been stabilised " and urged all to continue in prayers for their recovery of the injured.
He commended the state Commissioner for Health Dr Dominic Ukpong for his dexterity in handling the challenging situation, the security agencies as well as State Emergency Management Agency for facilitating the rescue operations.
Governor Emmanuel himself a survivor of the tragedy, enjoined everyone to acknowledge God in all circumstances as He has given a second chance to everybody and not just the survivors ".. as long as you are a living being, acknowledge God in all our ways because death can visit anybody at anytime and place, irrespective of his status in the society".
On the speculation that one of his aides lost his life in his attempt to rescue him, Mr Emmanuel clarified that the only member of his team that died in the accident was a Driver who entered the church to listen to the sermon and used the occasion to urged people to desist from speculations but pray for the injured and the bereaved families..
In a goodwill message, the Senate President Senator Bukola Saraki who was represented by Senator Ike Ekweremadu assured the people that the State is not alone at this period of grief as the National Assembly has condole with the government and people of the state .
He said that the moral of the incident is that the life we live is a borrowed one which can be retrieved at no notice and that people should draw closer to God as all in material existence is vanity.
Similarly, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State conveyed condolences from the people of the oil- rich State and tasked survivors to get closer to God stressing that God manifest himself for those who believe in him and pledged to support the State Government in settling the medical bills of the injured.
In an exhotation, Apostle Zilly Aggrey, who preached on the topic, 'The Sovereignty of God', drew his sermon from Job 41 : 40, 41 cited the experience of Job in the Bible saying "a man's life does not depend on the riches he has" but charged all to have faith in God as He knows everything even before it happens.
Apostle Aggrey commended the State Governor for taking the initiative to personally supervise rescue operations and visiting victims in hospitals to ensure their quick recovery and expressed conviction that God of all comfort will console everyone.
The Clergy who called for prayers to forestall repeated occurrence thanked God for saving the Governor and other survivors and urged them to appreciate the second opportunity God has given them by ensuring they living to the glory of God.
Prayers were offered for the State, the families of the victims and a minute silence observed in honour of the departed.
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