The Government of Cross River State and the Muslim community had said they would be happy to partner the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for its Educational programs in the State.
The parties involved had the discussion at the LDS Church Education Fair which held on Saturday at the state capital, Calabar.
The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Youths and Skills Acquisition Mr. Sam Egbe Egbala said he had been attracted to the Church long before now by its fantastic edifies that the Cross River State Governmment was interested and passionate about Youth education, hence, the need for the establishment of the Ministry.
“As government we will partner the Church when it comes to skills acquisition because what you are doing today is important welfare packages for your members,” Egbala said.
Egbala who is a Journalist by profession also went on to testify that one thing he learned from the Church is the Book of Mormon which he said he got it from the missionaries in 1988, in Owerri.
“When I was reading it my friend asked me why I should be reading the book and I told him that the content of the book is as good as the Bible,” Egbala said since then he had been in love with the Church and getting involved in their activities.
The special adviser to the Governor of Cross River State on Education Mr. Castro Ezama, said by the country statistics there are approximately twenty million out-of-school children, meaning that there are twenty million children who will take turn in perpetrating crime in the society.
He said Of those numbers, 435,000 out-of-school children are in Cross River State.
Mr. Ezama who is a bishop in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said one the best things that happen when you attend BYU pathway is that it draws you closer to God.
The one time Students’ Union Government President now SA, who narrated the experience he had while in a meeting with the Governor said, “when leaders failed, it is because those employed to assist deliberately failed them.”
Bishop Ezama called on the parents as matter of fact that they ought not to send their children for alcohol beverage and “please do not exposed them to pornography because they pay little attention to what we say but more to watch the things we do,” he said.
On his part, the Secretary Hausa community and Coordinator Muslims community in Cross River State Alhaji Shaaban Abdullahi, said he had to postpone for him to attend the Education Fair’.
He said that was because the activity was more important to him and the Youths than that of his Emir’s visit to the state.
“I promise that at anytime a letter of invitation is coming from the Church consider it done as far as I am concerned,”he said.
Abdullahi went ahead to say that he became an associate member of the Latter-day Saints when he was first invited to an activity at Etagbor the Calabar Nigeria Stake Center, in 2022.
“When I had another invitation letter from the church about this activity I had to shift every other engagements one side, and Alhaji said to myself I must attend this one.”
Soon before he ended his speech, he said, “For this we will exchange our contacts will be communicating to see how we can help our brothers who have stucked somewhere.”
After they had ended their speeches, the Calabar Nigeria Stake president, president Alex Nkoro said the essence of the Education Fair’ is to make members mentally stable and sound both spiritually and temporary, while the Calabar Nigeria North Stake president Ekong Akwaowo Joseph said that the target population for the activity cut across the three stakes in Calabar.
“The activity seeks to achieve members both young and old to become educated both in skill, vocational and spiritually,” the Calabar Nigeria South Stake president Samuel Okoha, said.