Insecurity: WODDI, Nigerian women turn

As Nigeria continues to battle insecurity with many losing faith in government’s ability to protect lives and property, Women of Divine Destiny Initiative (WODDI) led by its Founder/CEO, Nneoma Nkechi Rochas Okorocha, has commenced a 40-day national prayer against all forms of Insecurity, CHIZOBA OGBECHE reports.

There is no arguing the fact that insecurity is one of the greatest challenges Nigeria is facing. This is as the Nigerian government continues to seek lasting solution to the situation. However, not a few Nigerians are also seeking solutions to the problem which affects every part of the country.

In a bid to seek divine intervention against all forms of insecurity, promote peace and progress of the country, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Women of Divine Destiny Initiative (WODDI), led by its Founder/CEO, Nneoma Nkechi Rochas Okorocha, convoked a 40-day national prayer against all forms of insecurity with the theme: Heal Our Land And Let There Be Peace.

Prayers expedient in face of institutional failure…

Speaking at the flagging-off of the prayer session in Abuja, Mrs Okorocha said the initiative was to seek the face of God by praying against the various challenges bedeviling the nation ranging from security, social economic, political as well as ethnic crisis in some parts of the country.

The former 1st Lady of Imo state, while leading hundreds of women from across the country who had have converged on Abuja, further stated that the prayer became expedient in the face of institutional failure to rescue the nation from the precipice.

“Nigeria, our country is a blessed land from human to natural resources. It is not a mistake that we are called the giant of Africa. “Unfortunately, the enemy has and is still trying so hard to destroy the glory of our land and bring about insecurity, killings, bitterness, underdevelopment and hate in our society.

“But in all these we are confident that when we raise our voices in worship and prayers, God will hear from heaven and heal our land,” added.

Mrs. Okorocha, who urged the citizens to continue to support the ongoing efforts by government to bring permanent solution to the country’s security problems, expressed the fear of the fate that would befall upcoming generations of Nigerians if the insecurity was not curbed.

“I felt I should reach out to men and women of God for us to come together to cry to God. It is not about me, it is about this country. We have to come together and pray and forget our differences to seek the face of God to stop this ugly trend,” the WODDI founder further stated.

She also called on government to double its effort in tackling the scourge, adding that: “Nigeria is still together because God. As a mother, I want to know at all times that my family and environment is peaceful.

“But looking at what is happening almost everywhere in this country, God laid it in my heart, I had that strong leading to reach out to men and women of God, my sister excellences in the 36 states of the country for us to come together and cry out to God because that is the only thing we can do as mothers and this is why we are here.

“It is not about man or me; it is about this great country that I believe the world is waiting for. We have people who are joining us virtually across the world. The most important thing is that we must come together as a people and pray.

“We must forget our differences and seek the face of God and ask God for forgiveness; let Him have mercy on us so that we will know peace again.

“Our righteousness is like a filthy rag. So it is not about what we have done and what we have not done, we are just seeking the face of God because there is so much killing and we need to have our lives back as a people and as a nation.

“For me, the government cannot do anything without God. So, it still falls back to us to ask God to strength the government and give them wisdom and grace to move the nation forward,’ she said.

Okorocha expressed confidence that God would heed the prayers of the women and bring to an end the spate of insecurity in the country.

Identificational repentance for peace

In his ministration, Bishop Chigbu harped on the need for Nigerians to repent and turn away from their evil deed, as obtained in the Bible, for God to heal the land.

According to him, Nigeria belongs to all of us and it is destroyed even the churches, alongside other structures would be destroyed and we would not have where to go to.

“That is why all of us need peace. That is why we shall stop blaming individuals and government and start blaming ourselves.

“If we think that the President is the cause we voted for him; if we think the governors are the cause we voted for them. When we check ourselves, how clean are we? We are all part of the problem hence we need to repent on behalf of the country.

“I am talking about identificational repentance for peace because things have gone so terribly wrong that all of us, both big and small, are thinking of God as our last hope hence this prayer.

“We need to come together to identify the problem before we can solve it. If our problem is nepotism and corruption then we need to ask how many of us have received envelops that have come from corruption? How many of us have paid our children’s school fees with money that came from corruption? If we have done any of these or other corrupt practices then we all need to repent.

“This is because even if we ask President Muhammadu Buhari to resign the next person will do same or worse except we start doing what we are supposed to do and do it right. What are we supposed to do? Positively repent and once we repent God will heal out land.

“The Bible says: If my people who are called by me can humble themselves… Healing requires humility and once we accept humility God will heal our land.

“We are drawn from different religions and regions and we have come to pray; identificational repentance is automatic. If all of us collectively identify and agree that we have committed this sin God will heal our land. If we don’t, one day this nation will spit all of us out

“The blood being spill in Nigeria is beyond imagination. All of us must say to God that we have sinned and ask God for forgiveness; stand on behalf of our nation and say God have mercy and heal our land. We have to also agree that anyone who doesn’t want peace in Nigeria the land shall vomit such a person.

“We are returning to God and God shall show us peace and if you believe that peace is returning to our nation then we shall pray for peace and let peace be released. Let there be healing, God will show mercy to our nation.”

Special prayers session

Leading the special prayer session by Rev (Mrs) Godia Ajayi, Bishop Hope John Praise, and Founder, Love of Christ Generation Church (C&S) Worldwide, Rev Esther Ajayi better known as Mama Aladura, commended the organisers of the 40-day-prayers.

For Rev Godia Ajayi, there was urgent need to pray for Nigeria, however, she noted that if we can’t pray for the country we should not curse the country because we can’t pray and curse at the same time.

“If you want Nigeria to survive we must pray to God for mercy and healing. Pray to God to save Nigeria,” she added.

On her part, Bishop Hope sued for unity among Nigerian women, stressing that “we have gone astray and we are all guilty and must take responsibility for all that has happened in Nigeria for our sake, and our children and children’s children.

“We must come out of our shells because God is waiting for us. We are the ones suffering the must and if we are to show the way then all others will follow us. Women arise because God is waiting for us. Arise to the responsibility of praying to God so that his mercy will shine on Nigeria.”

Mama Aladura, who prayed against war, stated that as a citizen of four nations she could testify that there was no honour anywhere except in Nigeria.

She urged the women to pray that we don’t miss it now so that things don’t get worse than it is already because tomorrow may be too late for us as a nation.

“Pray for God to have mercy on Nigeria; pray that God may hear our voices and answer us; pray for peace to reign in Nigeria and that God’s peace may begin to reign so that our economy and every aspect of life will be healed.

“Pray to scatter all those who do not have the interest of the nation at heart and are working against the interest of the country because if we refuse to pray at this time it may be dangerous,” she maintained.

Prayer for Nigeria in Distress

Leading the Prayer for Nigeria in Distress as composed by the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) in August 1990, a Catholic Evangelist Rev Timothy noted that the diversity of the gathering was an indication of having achieved peace already.

Sanwo-Olu, Okowa’s wife join prayers

While joining the programme virtually the First Lady of Lagos state, Dr. Mrs Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, and her Delta state counterpart, Mrs Dame Edith Okowa, described the theme for the prayer as apt.

They expressed optimistic that all the prayers tabled before God at the programme would receive speedy answers.

When women pray God answers – Onyilo

Also, speaking to our correspondent, former NAWOJ President and Founder INWOAD, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Ms Evelyn Onyilo, commended the former Imo state 1st lady for “the timely and well thought out initiative of bringing women together to pray for the peace of the nation. When women pray God answers,” she added.

Also in attendance at the flag-off was the Minsitwer of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen; Archbishop of Abuja Methodist Church, Oche Job; and former Imo state Governorship Candidate, Uche Nwosu.

The prayers, which commenced with the flag-off on August 11, continued virtually daily between 6:30am and 6:50am, would end on September 18.

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