From left: Apostle Mike Ubebe, Secretary General of IICA, a Chief of Ogulagha kingdom, The Ibenanaowei of Ogulagha Kingdom, HRM King Joseph 1, Timiyan JP, Rev. Edwin Biayeibo and Pastor Eyiki Ekpolade, President of Izon-Ibe Christian Association during the 2025 Prayer and Thanksgiving in Warri, Delta State.
By Ejiro Nesisa
Izon–Ibe Christian Association (IICA) of Ijaw nation has organized Ijaw Day of prayer and Thanksgiving by suing for the peace and progress of the Ijaw nation. The programme which was held in Warri, Delta State recently was meant to praise and thank God to usher them into 2025.
Addressing mammoth of Ijaw sons daughters that mainly comprise of Christians, the President of Izon-Ibe Christian Association, Pastor Eyiki Ekpolade said, God has done lots of great things in Ijaw Nation since the commencement of Ijaw Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving two decades ago. According to him, God has favoured the Ijaw Nation with blessings and peace through His infinite mercy as that has brought Ijaws to limelight.
Pastor Ekpolade noted that, they have come together to thank God for His goodness, mercy, kindness, protection and provision all through the year 2024, assuring that 2025 will be a better year for the Ijaws. He said, one of the major tasks of the organisation is to continue to evangelise of the Ijaw Nation, saying that, their mandate is basically to take the Gospel of Salvation to every nook and cranny of Ijaw land.
His words: “As we go into evangelism, we also go with materials that will benefit the people physically. That is what we have been doing over the years. And we hope to continue doing that until Jesus comes. The salvation of the Ijaw man is the responsibility of the Ijaw man. We need all well-meaning sons and daughters of Ijaw Nation and Niger Delta to join hands with us to fulfil this divine mandate.”
According to him, the Ijaws will ever remain grateful to God for what He has done and still doing in the lives of the Ijaw Nation stressing that, God has taken them from partially unknown tribe to prominent one in Nigeria with blessings and favour in all ramifications. Pastor Ekpolade thanked the Spiritual Father of the Day, Papa Ayo Oritsejafor for his presence and for giving both financial and spiritual support to the Ijaw Day of Prayer programme just as he thanked the Ijaw Royal Fathers for their massive support over the years.
In his brief remarks, the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly (DTHA), Rt. Hon. Emomotimi Guwor commended the organisers of Ijaw Day of Prayer and Ijaw Traditional Rulers for their support just as he appealed that in the next edition (2026) of the programme, they( IICA) should invite other Christian organisations such as Catholic, Baptist, Anglican (CMS), Methodist, Cherubim and Seraphim, the Apostolic, Celestial and other Churches to the programme as the programme should not be only Pentecostal’s affairs. His words:”The Church of God is one, but different denominations; therefore we should make the next Ijaw Day of Prayer more elaborate to enhance its effectiveness”.
On his part, the Chairman of Ijaw Traditional Rulers Forum, HRM Elder, Captain Joseph Timiyan, The Torububor I, the Ibenanaowei of Ogulagha Kingdom, said God is happy with the Ijaws of the Niger Delta because of the yearly thanksgiving and prayer programme, adding that,they( Ijaws) will continue to praise and worship God. He charged all Ijaws to be committed to the yearly spiritual exercise for the continuous peace, blessing and protection of the Ijaws.
On his part ,the Spiritual Father of the Day, Papa Ayo Oritsejafor said that he was happy and proud to identify with the Ijaws. According to him, apart from the Nigeria’s former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan who is his son and High Chief Tunde Smooth, his good friend,he has continued and will continue to have cordial relationship with Ijaws in general.
His words:”I feel very proud to be in your midst. I pray to God that we will all be alive to celebrate the 2026 Ijaw Day of Prayer and thanksgiving.”The Guest Speaker, Bishop John Oruma urged the Ijaws to have absolute trust in rely on God who has been protecting and providing for them in the midst of hardship and tribulations in Nigeria.
In his sermon titled: “And God said, Let There Be Light; And There Was Light”, Bishop Oruma said God gave humans light which separated them from darkness adding that, spiritually, Jesus is the light of the world. His words:”God created Jesus as the Light of the world, you should allow that Light to come into your life. The Light is the glory upon the world, as it shines, and darkness can not envelop it. The light of Izon-Ibe Christian Association will not run out, it will continue to shine.
The climax of the programme were the special prayers session by anointed men of God for God’s, peace, protection and provision for the Ijaw Nation, Delta State and Niger Delta particular and Nigeria at large.