Although his driver did his best to arrive before the scheduled time of 11:00 in the morning, he was late for the appointment, no thanks to the traffic gridlock in Onitsha, Anambra State.
They finally arrived at noon. Apparently aware of his lateness, the anxious contractor ransacked the thick pile of files by his side and grabbed the relevant documents he needed for the transaction.
No sooner had his driver pulled up than he jumped out of the car clutching the documents. He went straight to the office of the commissioner.
But to his amazement, on getting to the door of the Commissioner’s office, the whole place was agog with the commissioner and the entire staff of the ministry singing songs of praise to God.
Still shocked, he looked behind him for a possible answer and to his utter disbelief, the policemen attached to the commissioner were also dancing and singing at the top of their voices. Confused and about to leave, one of the staff who noticed his seeming confusion, told him that they were observing 15 minutes compulsory daily prayer that starts by 12 noon every day.
It was at that point that his mind flashed back to the huge billboard he read while he was coming. Although he did not pay much attention to it, the wordings were still bold in his mind. The writing in bold neon sign read: ”Have you prayed for Imo State today? Join the 15 minutes prayer and commit Imo State to God.”
At 12 noon every day, all official duties in government offices in Imo State, including that of the governor and his deputy are stopped to allow all staff to observe the 15 minutes prayer.
Governor Rochas Okorocha, who initiated the programme, said the initiative was to commit the state to God, to seek His face and grace for peace and prosperity of the state.
All offices and other establishments of government across the state erupt in praise simultaneously with clergymen in attendance to minister and supervise the sessions.
The Office of the Deputy Governor, Prince Eze Madumere, is virtually turned into a church every 12 noon as both staff and non-staff converge on his office front desk to observe the prayer.
Commenting on the programme, Pastor Paul Chibuike said the benefits of praising God cannot be over-emphasised.
He said: ”The Bible tells us that if the people that are called by my name shall forsake their sins and seek my face, I will hear from heaven and heal their land. So, the midday prayer is a time the entire state seeks the face of God to heal our land and prosper the state.”
He further said: ”Since the governor introduced the midday prayer, God has taken over the battles of the state and the benefits are visible and enormous. We are enjoying peace and security because it is God who guards a city. I encourage other states to copy from Imo State and make out time to cry to God.”
Mr. Ucheakolam Onyejiuwa, a Director in one of the ministries, described the midday prayer as a covenant between God and the state, noting that, ”in Imo State, we are dependent on God to solve our everyday challenges and He has never failed us. Imo State has become a sought-after state among other states of the country.”
He further said: ”Before now, we were battling with high rate of insecurity including kidnapping, armed robbery and other heinous crimes. But these days, Imo State is one of the safest states in the country and we thank God for the kind of man He has given us as governor; a man that has the fear of God because the Bible said when the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice.”
At the office of wife of the state governor, women gathered to observe the daily prayers and the sessions are characterised by thunderous singing and dancing.
At first, the Imo prayer programme was greeted by widespread criticism. But the people have come to appreciate and identify with the programme. At the headquarters of the local government areas as well as schools in the state, all official and non-official activities are paused by 12 noon for the prayers.
The state governor, who presides over most of the prayer sessions at the Government House, attributed the success of his administration to God.
“We have designed the Imo midday prayer as a time to spend quality and robust time with God, to seek His face concerning our state. And He has not disappointed us,” he said.
Apart from being observed in government offices, government sources disclosed that the midday prayer would soon be observed in markets and other open places across the state.
A clergyman, Reverend Ukachukwu Izu said: ”We are prayerfully looking forward to a time when the whole state will stop at midday to praise God. It should not be an affair for government offices alone. All Imo citizens within the state or outside the state should observe the midday prayer as a covenant with God.”
Emphasising the benefits of the programme, a civil servant, Mrs. Grace Uzoaru, said it had promoted unity and love among the civil servants.
“The midday prayer has brought us closer to God. The benefits are numerous. We look forward to the prayer session everyday and this has promoted Godly virtues in the people. We are grateful to the governor for initiating the programme.
A first time visitor to Imo State should not be scared when he walks into any office by midday and see the entire staff singing and dancing instead of working on incoming and outgoing files. He should simply join and complete his transactions after the session.
Source: The Nation Online
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