Refusing to vote during elections gives room for manipulation — Okowa

He said: “Many Nigerians believe that votes do not count, but they are wrong because votes count, and refusing to vote gives room for the bad guys to manipulate the process. Every Bible-believing Christian should go and register to vote in the right people into office.”

Urging Christians to show good examples in their workplaces, Okowa said those who profess faith in Christ must honor and obey earthly governments to ensure law and order and promote good governance.

He enjoined Christians to pay their taxes, saying the government needs the money to create new jobs, provide infrastructures, give quality education, check insecurity, among others, adding that God does not excuse Christians from paying taxes.

Okowa, who was conferred with the award: “Courageous and Purposeful Leadership in Challenging Times,” by the Primate of the Anglican Communion, Most Rev’d Henry Ndukuba, for his people-oriented leadership enjoined religious leaders to be neutral on politics and governance, saying their identification with a party will limit access for them to reach members of the opposite parties with their messages.

Noting the ills of voting on ethnic or sectional lines, the governor said faith-based NGOs must take the lead in the fight for social justice, advocate for the right persons to be elected to public offices, and also set agenda for governments at the national, state, and local council levels.