By Julius Alabi, Akure
In a display of how faith continues to intersect with public service in Ondo State, the Ministry of Information and Orientation on Monday held its December 2025 prayer meeting at the Commissioner’s office, an event framed not just as a spiritual gathering but as part of the ministry’s evolving workplace culture.
The session opened with music led worship before staff joined in the hymn My Faith Looks Up to Thee. The devotional reflection, delivered by Pastor Babatope Akanbi, centred on the theme “God Will Never Share His Glory With Anybody.”
He urged officials to practise humility and moral clarity in their duties, referencing biblical passages and the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to underscore what he described as the “supremacy of divine authority.”
However, the Commissioner for Information, Hon Idowu Ajanaku used the occasion to restate his personal conviction about the role of prayer in leadership, saying he considered spiritual grounding essential to his public service.
He located Ondo’s identity within what he called a legacy of “deep-rooted spirituality,” citing past religious figures such as Prophet T.O. Obadare and RCCG founder Baba Akindayomi.
Ajanaku also noted that Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has maintained regular praise nights as part of his administration’s routine, an indication, he said of the state’s continued reliance on faith.
Linking spirituality with governance outcomes, the commissioner argued that the progress recorded under the state’s OUR EASE development agenda reflects both administrative effort and what he described as “divine guidance.”
He announced that his office would remain a monthly venue for collective prayers aimed at strengthening workplace unity and purpose.
The meeting also included a transition in the ministry’s prayer leadership. Pastor Boniface Oladimeji, who is due to retire on 10 January 2026, formally handed over coordination of the monthly prayer sessions to Mr. Tony Adetoye and Engr. Ogidan. Staff offered prayers for the incoming coordinators and for December celebrants.
The gathering closed with renewed calls for diligence and cohesion as the ministry prepares for the new year, reaffirming its blend of institutional work and spiritual ritual—a combination increasingly characteristic of the state’s public service ethos.
In another development, the District Superintendent of the Apostolic Faith Church in West and Central Africa (WECA), Rev Isaac Adigun, has called on Christians to raise their voices in prayer for the revival of the nation’s struggling economy and the strengthening of the naira.
He made the call during the continuation of the church’s National Prayer programme.
Speaking to a large congregation, Rev Adigun said Nigeria was at a critical juncture and required divine intervention to overcome its mounting economic and social problems.
He urged believers to seek God’s mercy and restorative power as the nation battles inflation, unemployment and rising hardship.
Reading from the Scriptures, Joel 2:14–21, II Chronicles 14, Psalm 142:1, and II Kings 19:14, 19, he reminded worshippers of biblical precedents in which God responded to cries for help saying the God who delivered Hezekiah in times of distress is capable of answering Nigerians today.
“God who answered then will answer us too,” Rev Adigun declared. “We need our economy to be restored so that our currency will be strengthened.”
He emphasised that Nigeria’s deepening economic woes required not only policy solutions but also spiritual commitment.
The cleric lamented that many Nigerians are overwhelmed by the weight of daily survival noting that the situation had made prayer even more urgent, describing it as a national responsibility rather than merely a religious ritual.
Rev Adigun stressed that the church’s prayer campaign was not a reactionary move, but part of a long-standing conviction that moral and spiritual renewal must accompany national development.
“We want God to come down and act on the present situation of Nigeria. God will give us victory over our tormentors who have risen up against our nation and our lives,” he said
He added that Nigeria’s challenges should not be viewed solely through the lens of economic failures but also as spiritual battles that require determination, faith and consistent supplication.
The cleric also warned against despair, insisting that the country’s current difficulties could become a turning point if citizens remained prayerful and committed to positive change. “There is no door God cannot open,” he noted.
Rev Adigun claimed that the same divine power that rescued Biblical nations from collapse could restore Nigeria to stability.
He assured the congregation that God was able to open all “closed doors,” including those affecting the nation’s education and religious institutions.
He referenced the temporary closure of churches and schools in some parts of the country due to insecurity, economic strain and declining infrastructure, saying such issues required both policy reform and spiritual awakening.
In his message, the clergyman urged Nigerians not to lose faith in the nation’s potential saying Nigeria possessed abundant human and natural resources that could flourish again under divine guidance.
He encouraged Christians to pray not only for the economy but also for President Bola Tinubu and leaders at all levels, asking God to grant them wisdom, integrity and courage to steer the country in the right direction.
The gathering also included moments of intercession for peace, security and national unity. Many worshippers expressed hope that their collective prayers would mark the beginning of a turnaround for the nation.
As the programme concluded, Rev Adigun reminded the congregation that transformation often begins with the spiritual posture of a people. “If we return to God with sincerity,” he said, “He will return to us with healing and restoration.”
The National Prayer initiative, which continues in Apostolic Faith Church branches across the country, aims to mobilise millions of believers to intercede for Nigeria during what the church describes as “a defining season.”
